A cyberattack on the Ascension health system in the United States disrupted operations, leading to ambulances being redirected, patients missing appointments, and online access to medical records being blocked. A spokesperson for Ascension reported that they noticed abnormal activity on their computer network systems on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. As a result, both the electronic records system and the MyChart system, which allows patients to view their records and communicate with their doctors, were offline.

A cyberattack targeted the Ascension health system, which runs 140 hospitals in 19 states in the U.S. This attack led to some hospitals redirecting ambulances, patients having to delay medical tests, and online access to patient records being blocked.

A representative from Ascension mentioned that they noticed some strange activity on their computer network systems on Wednesday. They did not confirm if the non-profit Catholic health system, located in St. Louis, was targeted by a ransomware attack or if they had given in to any ransom demands. They have not provided any updates in response to an email inquiry.

The attack showed signs of being a ransomware incident, and Ascension brought in Mandiant, a top responder to such cyberattacks. Change Healthcare experienced a cyberattack earlier this year that affected care systems across the country, and the CEO of its parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., admitted to paying a $22 million ransom in bitcoin during a congressional testimony.

Ascension reported that their digital records system and the MyChart system, which enables patients to view their records and communicate with healthcare providers, were both unavailable.