When hackers strike a health system, it can have far-reaching effects beyond just the original target.
That's been the case with the Sept. 26 ransomware attack against Lubbock, Texas-based UMC Health System. That event has also ensnared Lubbock-based Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech Physicians, which share IT systems with UMC Health.
The medical school and its affiliated physician group are now in downtime, unable to access their EHR or receive patient portal messages or faxes. Their phone lines are experiencing intermittent outages as well. However, their clinics remain open, as do their pharmacies, albeit with reduced capacity.
UMC Health System's flagship hospital, University Medical Center, is still diverting some patients via ambulance due to the cyberattack. The health system said Oct. 4 it expects to make "substantial progress" in restoring its IT network in the coming days.