Lovelace hospital patients concerned about ransomware impact

Joanne and her husband have been going to Lovelace hospital for years now, and they haven’t had problems in the past. However, they have been trying to see a doctor about her husband’s blood pressure, and she says this ransomware attack is stopping them from doing that.”Honestly, it’s very scary. I’m afraid. I’m nervous for my husband,” Joanne said. “We haven’t gotten one phone call back from the heart hospital from a nurse who said they were going to follow up and see what they could do.”The hospital’s parent company, Ardent Health Services, found out on Thanksgiving Day they had been hit by this attack, making it difficult, if not impossible, for both doctors and patients to access digital medical records. UNMH Chief Medical Officer Steve McLaughlin said it’s coming at a time of year when more people get sick, and hospitals already deal with overcapacity.”So it becomes a really busy time of the year for hospitals across the country,” McLaughlin said.Right now, UNMH is at 122% of capacity. Forty-six patients are in the emergency room waiting for beds elsewhere in the hospital. In addition, the Children’s Hospital is at 100% capacity. “Downstream ripple effects can last weeks or potentially even months,” Nathaniel Roybal, president of the Greater Albuquerque Medical Association, said. Lovelace said it has restored “key clinical and business systems,” which Roybal says is a step in the right direction. He said this ransomware incident reminds the entire city to step up and assist Lovelace in different ways right now.McLaughlin couldn’t share his thoughts on the ransomware attack but did say that if people are in need of serious medical attention, the best-case scenario is to go to a hospital that can help right now.”If an individual has a serious condition like that, we absolutely want them to come and see us,” McLaughlin said. “We are absolutely here to take care of them.”Joanne understands only so much can be done right now, but she’s also concerned for everyone else in need of serious medical attention. “Something needs to be done, and it needs to be done quickly now it’s going on three weeks,” Joanne said.

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