A severe cyberattack on Ascension, one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States, has disrupted patient care significantly. The ransomware attack, which began on May 8, has locked medical providers out of critical systems that coordinate patient care, including electronic health records and medication ordering systems. This disruption has led to alarming lapses in patient safety, as reported by health care professionals across the nation.
Marvin Ruckle, a nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph in Wichita, Kansas, highlighted the chaos, recounting an incident where he almost administered the wrong dose of a narcotic to a baby due to confusing paperwork. Such errors were unheard of when the hospital’s computer systems were operational. Similarly, Lisa Watson, an ICU nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, narrowly avoided giving a critically ill patient the wrong medication, emphasising the risks posed by the shift from digital to manual systems.
The attack has forced hospitals to revert to outdated paper methods, creating inefficiencies and increasing the potential for dangerous mistakes. Watson explained that, unlike in the past, current systems for timely communication and order processing have disappeared, exacerbating the risk of errors. Melissa LaRue, another ICU nurse, echoed these concerns, citing a close call with a blood pressure medication dosage error that was fortunately caught in time.
Health care workers at Ascension hospitals in Michigan reported similar issues. A Detroit ER doctor shared a case where a patient received the wrong medi
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