Lubbock, Texas-based UMC Health System started diverting patients to other hospitals because of an IT outage Sept. 26.
University Medical Center in Lubbock has been sending both emergency and nonemergency patients to other local healthcare facilities because of the network outage, KLBK in Lubbock first reported Sept. 26. The health system confirmed to the news outlet that the incident was a ransomware attack. Patients who had already been admitted to the hospital were not affected, while UMC outpatient clinics remained open.
"We are working closely with local and regional partners to coordinate care and redirect patients as smoothly as possible," the health system wrote in a statement to KLBK. "As our team works diligently to investigate and resolve the issue, we are prioritizing patient safety and minimizing the impact on critical services."
UMC Health System wrote Sept. 26 on Facebook that it was experiencing phone issues and could not receive patient portal messages. Meanwhile, Lubbock-based Covenant Health posted Sept. 26 on Facebook that its hospitals and emergency services remained open.