Ascension Healthcare assesses impact of cyberattack 

ST. LOUIS – Ascension Healthcare has announced it detected unusual activity on select technology systems on May 8 and now believes it is due to a cybersecurity event. 

The large health system says it has engaged Mandiant, a third-party expert, to assist in the investigation and remediation process, and it has notified the appropriate authorities. 

“We responded immediately, initiated our investigation and activated our remediation efforts,” a spokesperson said. “Access to some systems has been interrupted as this process continues. Our care teams are trained for these kinds of disruptions and have initiated procedures to ensure patient care delivery continues to be safe and as minimally impacted as possible. We continue to assess the impact and duration of the disruption.” 

Ascension Healthcare spans about 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals, serving communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. In fiscal year 2023, it provided $2.2 billion in care for people living in poverty and other community benefit programs. 

In a May 11 update, the health system says it has notified law enforcement, as well as government partners, including the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services and the American Hospital Association. It is also sharing relevant threat intelligence with the Health Information Share and Analysis Center so others can take steps to protect themselves from similar incidents. 

“While our restoration work continues in earnest, our focus is on restoring systems as safely as possible,” a spokesperson stated. “While we expect this process will take time to complete, we are making progress, and systems are being restored in a coordinated manner at each of our care sites. We will continue to share updates on our recovery process.”