Mobile, Ala.-based Springhill Medical Center is operating without full function of its computer systems after the facility shut down its network July 16 in the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident, WPMI, an NBC affiliate, reports.
The medical center shut down its computer network after discovering it was infected by a virus, according to the report. A hospital spokesperson told WPMI that no patient information or patient care was affected by the cybersecurity incident.
"After learning of the security incident, we promptly shut down our network to contain the incident and protect data," the hospital said in a written statement sent to WPMI on July 23. "We continue to bring our network back up carefully to ensure our systems are operating normally and securely."
As of July 24, Springhill Medical Center's website is still down. A hospital employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told the network that Springhill Medical Center's systems were actually infected with ransomware, not a virus. The employee said that the new system, which was installed one week after the hospital discovered the first incident July 16, was immediately infected a second time and that the downtime has affected the hospital's computers and payroll system, according to the report.
In its provided statement to the network, the hospital said: "…There is no truth to the claim that we have experienced a second incident. We have provided employees with consistent updates about the status of our computer systems and we greatly appreciate their diligence in maintaining excellent care while utilizing downtime procedures."