​​As we navigate through 2024, the healthcare landscape has faced significant challenges, particularly with unexpected downtime events that have disrupted hospital operations. These incidents serve as crucial reminders of the vulnerabilities within healthcare systems. From ransomware attacks to system failures, the impact of these events has been felt by both healthcare providers and patients relying on timely care. 

In this blog, we will discuss a few major downtime events that have occurred so far this year and underscore the importance of implementing EHR downtime solutions. By implementing these solutions, your healthcare organization can effectively mitigate the potential catastrophe and disorganization caused by such events, ensuring patient care continuity and data security.

Crowdstrike Disruption Causing Microsoft IT Outage

Of the downtime events that have happened this year, the CrowdsStrike incident disruption that occurred on July 19th caused a global IT outage of Microsoft-operated computer systems that affected many major hospitals and health systems due to a faulty software update issue. This caused so many healthcare systems to fail, with these hospitals suffering the consequences and having to revert to paper patient records, errors in and missing medical information, halt procedures, and delays in treatment. This software incident underscores the importance of having an effective downtime solution in place to minimize the negative impacts of such outages. 

Cyber Attack At Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin

Earlier this year, the Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW) fell victim to a cyber attack that compromised the personal and medical information of over 533,000 individuals. The hacker of this cyber attack attempted to encrypt GHC-SCW’s system but without success. However, the hacker was successful in copying sensitive patient data that included names, Social Security numbers, personal contact information, and health insurance information. This vulnerability underscores the need for robust Electronic Health Records downtime solutions that prevent cyber threats and protect patient care and data security.

Change Healthcare Cyber Attack

Change Healthcare’s services focus on optimizing revenue cycle management, enabling efficient claims processing, and supporting value-based care initiatives. In late February, the company underwent a cyber attack, which was confirmed to be the actions of BlackCat hackers. The attack disrupted operations and stole 6 TB of data, including sensitive patient information and records. The incident threatens the survival of numerous healthcare providers across the country, resulting in delays in patient care and reimbursement. The hack has triggered significant economic and legal repercussions throughout the U.S. healthcare sector, affecting everyone from large organizations to small rural practices. 

New Jersey Ransomware Attacks

Late last year, two hospitals in Northern New Jersey—Hackensack Meridian’s Mountainside Medical Center and Pascack Valley Medical Center—fell victim to a ransomware attack that led to significant disruptions, forcing their emergency departments to redirect critical care patients. This incident not only impacted these two facilities but also created ripple effects across other hospitals within the organization in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. In New Jersey, the hospitals were limited to conducting only basic assessments due to the attack. This situation underscores the severity and widespread implications of ransomware attacks, which can extend well beyond their initial targets.

Kaiser Permanente Data Breaches 

This year, healthcare service provider, Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest U.S. nonprofit health plans that operates 40 hospitals and 618 medical facilities across multiple states, has reported two major data breaches affecting 13.4 million people. The breaches involved online tools on its websites and mobile apps, which transmitted personal data to third-party marketing platforms like google, Microsoft Bing, and X (Twitter). Exposed information included IP addresses, names, login credentials, site navigation patterns, and search terms used in its health encyclopedia. This data breach underscored the importance of robust downtime solutions with emphasis on data security measures in order to be proactive in supporting clients and patients during such incidents.

The Importance of Implementing EHR Downtime Solutions

The recent news coverage of hospital downtime highlights the increasing necessity for proactive measures to protect healthcare systems. As hospitals increasingly depend on technology for patient care, it is essential to invest in robust cybersecurity strategies, comprehensive training, and resilient infrastructure to guarantee uninterrupted and secure healthcare services. 

Reach Out to dbtech Today for an Effective Downtime Solution

Prioritizing patient data security and implementing an effective EHR downtime solution are absolutely crucial. At Dbtech, we specialize in ensuring that healthcare organizations can maintain exceptional care even during critical disruptions. Our downtime solution significantly mitigates the adverse effects of such events, helping you safeguard patient care and data integrity. Don’t wait for the next incident to prepare—contact our team at Dbtech today to discover how our solutions can better equip your healthcare organization for the challenges ahead.