CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland-based University Hospitals is still working to restore its IT systems nearly two weeks after a cybersecurity incident was detected on October 22, and it cannot yet say when normal operations will return. In a November 2 update on its website, the system said it is working to restore systems safely but, in its words as reported by Becker’s Hospital Review, “we do not currently have an estimated timeline for completion.” The HIPAA Journal, reporting November 4, likewise said systems remained offline and no restoration timeline could be provided.
The most visible effect for patients remains the loss of MyChart, the online portal patients use to view test results, message their providers and manage appointments. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, the portal remains offline and patients cannot view lab results through it. Becker’s reported one partial workaround: patients whose tests were handled through Quest Diagnostics can still access those results on Quest’s own website.
Inside the hospitals, much of the technology still functions but is cut off from the outside world. Becker’s Hospital Review reported that most applications on the system’s servers still work but cannot send or receive information outside the system. Because University Hospitals is a cashless facility, Becker’s reported, it cannot take payments at the time of service. Video visits have shifted to phone, Zoom or in-person appointments, and providers can print, fax or call in prescriptions when e-prescribing is unavailable, according to Becker’s…