A suspected cyberattack has triggered a widespread IT disruption at the Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN), compelling the diversion of patients from its emergency rooms at Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital. Although ECHN managed to reopen the ERs for patient admissions, ambulance and EMS services continued to redirect patients to alternative medical facilities.
ECHN’s IT complications extended beyond the affected hospitals, impacting various locations under Prospect Medical Holdings, with the network’s website identifying multiple closed facilities due to the ongoing IT issues. These closures encompass a range of medical services, including primary and specialty care, wound healing, imaging, gastroenterology procedures, and more.
The incident highlights the urgency of addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in healthcare systems, as ECHN’s experience underscores the potential for substantial disruptions and patient care challenges caused by cyber threats. This situation emphasizes the critical role of robust cybersecurity measures and incident response protocols in safeguarding healthcare infrastructure.
As the ECHN network works to restore full functionality and mitigate the consequences of the cyberattack, attention is drawn to the broader implications for patient care and operational continuity in the face of evolving cyber risks.
