Cookeville (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center has been experiencing a network outage believed to be caused by a ransomware attack.
The 269-bed hospital’s IT systems went down July 13, though patient care hasn’t been affected, according to a July 15 Facebook post. Some scheduling has been slowed by the incident, however.
“The [information services] security team has been here 24 hours a day working,” Cookeville Regional CIO Tim McDermott stated in the post. “We take this matter seriously and we are working with outside IT experts to investigate the issue. This investigation is ongoing. At this time, we suspect that the outage was the result of a ransomware attack on our medical center. As we learn more information from our investigation, we will provide our patients with additional information as appropriate.”
The hospital said it is investigating whether patient data has been affected.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.