One of the largest healthcare systems in America has canceled all non-urgent visits, procedures, and surgeries due to a computer outage linked to cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike.
The Gateway Pundit reported earlier that major “IT outages” are being reported across the world, affecting banking systems, health care systems, emergency services, and airlines’ communications.
Mass General Brigham, which serves 2.5 million patients annually across its 15 hospitals and clinics, has suspended all non-urgent visits, procedures, and surgeries.
“We have dedicated every available resource to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused our patients,” said a statement released by Mass General Brigham according to the Daily Mail. “It is our highest priority to ensure that our patients receive the safest care possible.”
The healthcare giant reassured the public that they continue to provide care for all patients currently admitted in their hospitals.
A notice released on their website clarified the situation further:
“A major worldwide software outage has affected many of our systems today. This means we are not able to access our clinical systems, including patient health records and scheduling.
As a result, all non-urgent visits at all Mass General Brigham hospitals and clinics are cancelled for today, Friday, July 19, 2024. If you have a non-urgent visit scheduled, a care team member will reach out to you to reschedule.
Please do not call to reschedule today. We are open for urgent appointments and procedures, and our emergency rooms remain open. We are working this to resolve this issue. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
More from Daily Mail:
The outage is believed to be from a software update from a cybersecurity company called CrowdStrike, a tool is used to protect against hacking threats, and is not believed to be linked to a malicious cyberattack.
While paper charts were the norm for decades in healthcare, the advent of technology in the medical field made them obsolete and nearly all day-to-day operations are conducted via computer programs.
In one TikTok video, a woman in a breathing mask suggested her electronic medical records could not be accessed, leaving her unable to get the correct meds.
In another, staff can be heard shouting with panicked voices as the camera pans to a a computer that has been knocked offline and is showing a so-called ‘screen of death’.
Meanwhile a nurse in California detailed how staff have had to revert to pen and paper and using iPhones to treat patients and prescribe drugs, raising the risk of errors.
Also thrown into chaos were 911 and non-emergency call centers which are not working correctly across multiple states.
This is a developing story.
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