FHH says it took immediate steps to contain the threat.
Frederick Health Hospital, W 7th St.
Frederick, Md (KM) The suspicious activity on Frederick Health Hospital’s IT system on January 27th has been determined by third-party experts to ransomware. That’s according to President and CEO Tom Kleinhanzl. .
In a statement, he says the hospital took immediate steps to contain the threat and is working with those third-party experts to restore the system. Law enforcement has also been called in.
In the meantime, Kleinhanzl says all departments at FHH are open except for the Frederick Health Village Laboratory. He says the emergency department is open for walk-in patients and those who arrive by ambulance. FHH says it’s working with emergency medical services regarding any need for limited or temporary re-routes as the situation warrants. .
“I appreciate the partnership of the hospitals in the surrounding community for their support and cooperation as we worked through the initial stages of this event,” Kleinhanzl says in his statement.
Carrie Adams, the CEO of Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, says the hospital is experience “increased volume” in the emergency room “due a neighboring hospital experiencing significant operating challenges.” She says Meritus will continue to serve the tri-state community, but is reminding residents of the increased number of patients in the ER.
Klenhanzl says Frederick Health Hospital is working with the third-party experts to determine if any personal information was affected; and if that’s the case, the individuals will be notified in accordance with the law.
Regarding the repairs to its IT systems, Kleinhanzl says “significant progress” is being made in restoring the systems and its processes. He says he expects the hospital to recover from this experience and “more resilient than ever.”
In his statement, KIeinhanzl says the team at FHH “immediately pivoted to downtime procedures and continue to provide optimum care to patients in the community.”
“I am proud of our team at Frederick Health,”: he said.
By Kevin McManus