Leaders of Spring Valley, Ill.-based St. Margaret's Health say a cyberattack is partly to blame for their decision to close its Peru, Ill., hospital, 25 News Now in Peoria reported Jan. 20.
In a letter obtained by the news outlet and addressed to employees, President and CEO Tim Muntz and board chair Terry Judd said the reasons for the temporary shutdown set for Jan. 28 include a cybersecurity incident that affected billing, as well as COVID-19, staffing shortages and rising costs.
They wrote that the cyberattack "meant we could not bill nor get paid, in a timely manner, for the services we'd provided," according to the letter.