Ascension St. Vincent, part of Ascension Health Care, was hit by a major cyber attack on May 8, 2024, affecting 140 locations.

The cyber attack disrupted crucial systems including electronic health records, patient communication, and phone systems, as well as ordering for tests and medications.

Emergency services have been redirected to prioritize urgent care in response to the attack.

Ascension is collaborating with both internal and external experts, including Google's Mandiant, to investigate and resolve the issue, though no timeframe for resolution has been provided.

The leading theory is that the incident was caused by a ransomware infection.

While patient care continues safely, updates on the situation are being communicated via Ascension's website and journalist Matthew Self's Twitter account.

The attack on Ascension Health Care comes in the wake of a separate data breach at Dell Technologies, underscoring the growing trend of cyber threats in the healthcare industry.