Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, Mass., took its computer system and EHR offline after identifying a cyberattack Dec. 24, according to The Daily News.
The hospital, which is part of Boston-based Beth Israel-Lahey Health, temporarily diverted ambulance services to other hospitals within the system but resumed accepting ambulances Dec. 26, according to the report. The hospital is still recovering its IT system from the attack.
"Anna Jaques Hospital recently experienced a cybersecurity incident which has impacted certain systems, including our electronic health record system. Recovery efforts are still in progress. Patient safety remains our top priority and the hospital remains open to all patients. We appreciate the community's patients as we work through this investigation," said a hospital spokesperson in an email to Becker's.
The union representing nurses at the hospital sent administrators a list of questions about staffing and information processing during the event. The union also sent a letter to the Department of Public Health about the attack, according to the report.
Cyberattacks against hospitals have become more common in the last few years, especially around the holidays. Ardent Health Services, a Nashville, Tenn.-based system, was hit over Thanksgiving and it took nearly a month for the hospital's team to restore access to the EHR patient portal, MyChart.