"Ardent Hospitals Diverting Patients Following Ransomware Attack"

On Monday, Ardent Health Services announced that its clinical and financial operations had been disrupted by a ransomware attack discovered on Thanksgiving morning.  The company noted that the incident forced it to take systems offline and suspend user access to IT applications, including corporate servers and internet and clinical programs.  The company stated that while this incident temporarily disrupts certain aspects of Ardent’s clinical and financial operations, patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively in its hospitals, emergency rooms, and clinics.  Following the attack, Ardent and its affiliates are rescheduling non-emergent procedures and diverting patients to other hospitals.  The healthcare services provider says it is working on restoring its systems and returning applications to normal operations but could not estimate how long that would take.  The healthcare company says it is still investigating the extent of the incident and that it cannot yet confirm what patient health or financial data might have been compromised.  Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Ardent Health Services owns and operates hospitals in Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

SecurityWeek reports: "Ardent Hospitals Diverting Patients Following Ransomware Attack"