Cyberattack to blame for service interruption at area hospitals, officials say

Hospitals in Windsor-Essex have been dealing with system-wide technical issues Monday due to a cyberattack, officials say.

Windsor Regional Hospital, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, Bluewater Health and Chatham Kent Health Alliance have been impacted by a service interruption, including email, for most of the day as the hospitals’ shared service provider, TransForm, is experiencing a cyber attack, according to an update. 

“We are investigating the cause and scope of incident, including whether any patient information was affected. Our investigation is ongoing and we will provide further updates, as appropriate. We will not be providing further comment in response to this statement,” officials said in a joint statement.

The statement said patients who have schedule care in the next few days will be contacted directly, if possible, to reschedule or provide alternate arrangements.

The hospitals note they may not be able to reach all patients and “request your understanding if we are required to reschedule care in person at our facilities.”

TransForm Shared Service Organization also issued a statement on Monday.

“Currently, our member hospitals and Windsor-Essex Hospice are experiencing a systems outage including email. If your patients have a pre-booked appointment, please be advised they might be delayed or postponed. We encourage the use of appropriate community health services rather than going to the Emergency Department unless it is a true emergency. Thank you for your patience. We will update you as we have more information.”

Officials with area hospitals continue to ask residents if they are not in need of emergency care to attend your primary care provider or local clinic to reduce the impact on local hospitals as they work to address the issues and focus on those in need of hospital care.