Leaders at San Diego-based Scripps Health say the system is "working around the clock" to restore its IT systems, which were forced to shut down by a May 1 cyberattack.
Here are six of the latest developments from Scripps Health, according to a May 15 memo sent to patients from Anil Keswani, MD, CMO of ambulatory and accountable care, and Ghazala Sharieff, MD, CMO of acute care, clinical excellence and experience. The memo was sent to Becker's by CEO Chris Van Gorder.
1. Scripps describes the disruption as a cybersecurity incident involving malware and is unable to provide a specific timeline for when IT systems will be restored. An investigation into the scope of the incident, including whether patient data was affected, is ongoing.
2. Scripps' four hospitals, emergency departments, urgent care centers, clinics and affiliated practices are open and seeing patients. The system is contacting patients directly if scheduled surgeries or appointments need to be rescheduled. Virtual visits are still taking place.
3. The system partnered with Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp to help provide laboratory services until its systems are restored.
4. If patients fill their prescriptions at a Scripps retail pharmacy, the system asks them to call the pharmacy to assist with their refill. If they use a non-Scripps retail pharmacy, the system recommends checking if they can now access their prescription refill or get an emergency supply.
5. Patients can expect paper processes and backup workflows when they arrive for appointments. Clinical staff meet patients at each entrance to discuss options for care, and patient care teams currently have view-access to certain patient history and records.
6. Patients will have a grace period of 14 days after IT systems go live to pay bills and be considered on time. Accounts will not default, be considered late or be sent to collections during this network outage.
Mr. Van Gorder thanked all employees and physicians May 10 in an internal memo. Read more about that communication here.