Chicago children’s hospital experiences ‘cybersecurity matter’
CHICAGO (WISH) — Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago was forced to take its network offline, it said, after a digital attack limited access to medical records and caused issues for phone and email communications, The Associated Press reported Monday.
The interruption began last week.
The downtown hospital initially described the issue as a network outage, eventually saying that it had taken its network offline because of a “cybersecurity matter,” the Associated Press reported.
Hospital representatives did not respond to a Monday request for more information from The Associated Press.
Statement
“Lurie Children’s is actively responding to a cybersecurity matter. We are taking this very seriously and have launched an investigation with the support of leading experts and are working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
“As part of our response to this matter, we have proactively taken network systems offline.
“As Illinois’ leading provider for pediatric care, our overarching priority is to continue providing safe, quality care to our patients and the communities we serve. Lurie Children’s is open and providing care to patients with as limited disruption as possible.
“We have established a dedicated call center to address our patient families’ and community providers’ needs. Please call 1.800.KIDS.DOC (1.800.543.7362), M-F 8 a.m.-8p.m.; Sat. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m.-12 p.m., with any questions or concerns including:
“• Non-urgent patient requests and care questions
“• Information regarding scheduled patient appointments
“• Patient prescription refill requests
“During the hours the Call Center is closed, please call the main operator at 312.227.4000. Due to high volumes, if you receive a busy signal, please try calling us back.
“We are taking this very seriously, investigating with the support of leading experts, and are working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies. As Illinois’ leading provider for pediatric care, our overarching priority is to continue providing safe, quality care to our patients and the communities we serve. Lurie Children’s is open and providing care to patients with as limited disruption as possible.”
Statement issued Feb. 4, 2024, from Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago