UMMC cancels clinics and elective procedures through Friday amid cyberattack recovery

The University of Mississippi Medical Center said Wednesday it has canceled regularly scheduled clinic appointments and elective procedures through Friday as it continues to restore systems after a Feb. 19 cyberattack that targeted the hospital network.

UMMC said in a statement that it is making “significant progress” and added, “Through diligent, around-the-clock work, UMMC is hopeful that it will be able to resume normal clinic operations as soon as Monday.” The cancellations extend statewide disruptions in care to more than a week, the statement said.

The medical center said the attack compromised its IT network and forced a shutdown of all network systems, including electronic patient health records, and that patients across Mississippi have missed appointments and surgeries. Jimmie Elaine White of Brandon said she had a follow-up appointment scheduled Feb. 19 to review ultrasound results and has been unable to reschedule. “I’m worried that I’m going to have a stroke,” she said.

UMMC said all its hospitals and emergency departments in Jackson, Madison County, Holmes County and Grenada remain open and that canceled appointments will be rescheduled. Baptist Memorial said it has increased staffing and “welcomed patients in our emergency department and clinics to help offset any immediate needs and meet increased demands for health care in our community,” spokesperson Kimberly Alexander said.

The medical center has not publicly detailed how extensive the attack was or whether data were compromised. In an interview with SuperTalk Mississippi, UMMC Vice Chancellor Dr. LouAnn Woodward confirmed the attacker made financial demands. Allan Liska, an intelligence analyst for cyber threat intelligence firm Recorded Future, said restoring hospital computer systems after a ransomware attack can take “anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month,” while full recovery “can take six months to a year to fully recover.” He added, “Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face,” quoting former boxer Mike Tyson.

UMMC has endured security breaches before. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights investigated a 2013 incident and found the medical center had identified risks as early as April 2005 but did not undertake significant risk management efforts until after that breach. UMMC agreed to pay a resolution amount of $2.75 million and adopt a corrective action plan; the Office for Civil Rights closed the matter in 2022 based on documentation of compliance, the agency said. Patients with time-sensitive needs, including prescription refills, can call the automated UMMC Triage Line at 601-815-0000, the medical center said; patients requiring immediate assistance will be contacted directly to schedule an urgent care visit.

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