Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health resolved its systemwide computer network outage around 9 a.m. May 16 after more than 24 hours of downtime, according to The Sacramento Bee.
The outage began around 10:30 p.m. May 14 and employees weren't able to access the EHR, retrieve emails or use the phones. Some patients were asked to reschedule appointments and procedures, while others experienced delays. Staff reverted to standard downtime procedures.
A spokesperson for the health system's Valley Area told The Sacramento Bee the outage was caused by an activation of a fire suppression system at one of its data centers. The spokesperson did not provide any additional details, but emphasized there was no fire involved.
Sutter Health tweeted early May 16 its data remained secure and apologized for any inconveniences. "As always, our patients are our top priority. While some of our care centers had to delay or reschedule services, downtime procedures were in place, allowing our caregivers and office staff to continue providing quality patient care," the tweet states.
Sutter Health operates 24 hospitals throughout Northern California, the Central Valley and the Bay Area. The outage reportedly hit all of its facilities though it is not clear how many patients were affected by the incident.
The spokesperson told The Sacramento Bee officials are investigating the incident.
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