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The attack took place in August and affected Waterbury Hospital in New Haven County; Manchester Hospital in Hartford County, and Rockville General in Tolland County. All three are part of Prospect Medical Holdings, based in Connecticut, according to reporting from the CT Mirror.
The cyberattack also affected medical offices affiliated with the hospitals.
Thinking the attack would last for a day or two, officials notified state and local officials and connected healthcare affiliates, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mirror said.
But as the attack continued, nearly six weeks long, in the end, the hospitals were basically fighting for their financial lives as well as those of their patients.
They even considered calling in the Medical Reserve Corps, something they hadn't done since COVID, to help with pharmacies and lab technicians.
During the time of the attacks, the hospitals couldn't bill Medicaid for payment, forcing the state Department of Social Services to advance them about $7.5 million, the Mirror reported.
The newspaper also said a review of the records shows the facilities had to cancel nearly half of their elective surgical procedures and couldn’t process X-rays or CT scans at times, something that is essential for many patients.
The cyberattack also affected the number of people in the hospitals’ care with some closing their emergency rooms at times.
The three hospitals declared they were back online on Tuesday, Sept. 12, “all services back online” some six weeks after the attack started, according to the Mirror.
But the end of the attack was not really the end, officials told state lawmakers during a hearing. Instead, the healthcare group reports they are still struggling financially, and computer systems are not fully restored, the Mirror wrote.
One large issue was the pending sale of the three hospitals to the Yale New Haven health system. The cyberattack could prevent the sale, if it is not quickly approved by the state, the Mirror reported.
The reporting showed just how dire things are when the hospitals are having a hard time paying for bed linens.
Cyber specialists say healthcare organizations are easier to attack because many have older, outdated computer systems. Many are working fast to upgrade, but that takes money, something many healthcare groups are struggling to find.
According to the Mirror, the three hospitals are still struggling and waiting for a sale.
To read the entire CT Mirror story with a detailed timeline of events during the attack, click here.
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