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Ambulances diverted after cyberattack hits Mass. hospital

A cybersecurity incident knocked out key systems, canceling chemotherapy appointments, closing pharmacies and pushing Brockton Hospital to divert ambulances while staff switch to paper records

By Susannah Sudborough
masslive.com

BROCKTON, Mass. — Brockton Hospital is diverting ambulances and canceling some services as it responds to a cybersecurity incident that began impacting its information systems on Monday.

Chemotherapy infusion services for cancer patients scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, have been canceled, the hospital’s operator, Signature Healthcare, said in a public alert. Patients are advised to call the Greene Cancer Center to reschedule their treatments.

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Signature Healthcare also closed its retail pharmacies in Brockton and East Bridgewater on Monday as a result of the cybersecurity incident, the healthcare system said. The pharmacies are expected to remain closed on Tuesday.

Brockton Hospital’s inpatient and walk-in emergency services remain in operation as of Monday evening, Signature Healthcare said. All scheduled surgeries, procedures and other types of appointments are set to continue as planned.

“Patients may experience some delays as we work through these issues. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we deal with this unfortunate situation,” the healthcare system said.

Brockton Hospital will assess when to begin accepting patients via ambulance again at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, a Signature Healthcare spokesperson said Monday evening.

The spokesperson declined to specify whether the incident was a ransomware attack, but told MassLive that Signature Healthcare has identified the nature of the incident.

Healthcare system staff have informed all relevant authorities, including law enforcement, about the incident, the spokesperson said. Signature Healthcare is working with authorities to investigate the incident and restore all services as quickly as possible.

The cybersecurity issue was discovered Monday morning, the spokesperson said.

“Upon identifying suspicious activity within a portion of our network, we immediately activated our incident response protocols,” Signature Healthcare said in the alert. “We moved to down-time procedures to ensure high-quality patient care and safety.”

The incident brought down Brockton Hospital’s electronic medical records system, forcing healthcare providers to use pen-and-paper documentation, The Enterprise reported. As of the newspaper, the hospital also had no internet service.

One Brockton resident told The Enterprise they were unable to access Brockton Hospital’s patient portal.

Signature Healthcare patients are advised to check the healthcare system’s website for updates on the situation.

No further information was immediately available Monday evening.

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