Ascension St. Vinent's Blount remains open, cyber attack investigation continues

All Ascension St. Vincent’s hospitals, physician offices, and care sites across Alabama remain open and operational. Despite the challenges posed by the recent ransomware incident, patient safety continues to be our utmost priority. Our dedicated doctors, nurses, and care teams are demonstrating incredible thoughtfulness and resilience as we utilize manual and paper based systems during the ongoing disruption to normal systems.

On May 8, Ascension detected unusual activity in its network systems, which they determined were due to a ransomware attack. The health care system continues to diligently investigate and address this attack, working closely with industry-leading cybersecurity experts to assist in its investigation and recovery efforts.

According to an Ascension spokesperson, "Ascension continues to make progress towards restoration and recovery following the recent ransomware attack. We continue to work with industry leading forensic experts from Mandiant to conduct our investigation into this attack and understand the root cause and how this incident occurred. In parallel, we have brought in additional cybersecurity experts from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 and from CYPFER to help supplement our rebuild and restoration efforts. We are focused on getting systems back up and running as safely and as quickly as possible. We are also working on reconnecting with our vendors with the help of our recovery experts. Please be aware that it may still take some time to return to normal operations.

"Our priority remains providing quality patient care and relaying up-to-date information when available as we work through this recovery process. Please continue to refer to this website page along with the regional update pages for more information. We encourage anyone seeking information surrounding the incident or with questions about the operational status of Ascension facilities to visit this page for the latest updates.

"We thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this unexpected situation. Rest assured, our commitment to the health and safety of our community remains our highest priority."

The following are some answers to a few of the most common questions they've been asked. For more information on this attack, please visitL https://about.ascension.org/cybersecurity-event or https://about.ascension.org/cybersecurity-event/regional-pages/alabama. These pages are constantly being updated with the latest information.

Can I go to my doctor’s appointment?

Ascension St. Vincent’s physician’s offices and care sites are operating with normal business hours, and all scheduled appointments are proceeding as planned.

Due to the transition to manual systems for patient documentation, patients may encounter longer than usual wait times and some delays. To help with delays, patients should bring notes on symptoms and a list of current medications, including prescription numbers or bottles. In the event that appointments need to be rescheduled, an Ascension associate will contact patients directly.

Can I get my prescription filled?

Certain Ascension Rx retail pharmacies in Alabama are not operational. Patients are being asked to bring their prescription number or prescription bottle to their appointments. We will work with patients to find an alternative pathway to get a fill at another pharmacy if ours is not an option. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Are Ascension’s urgent care centers open?

Ascension St. Vincent’s Urgent Care is fully operating. Due to the transition to manual systems for patient documentation and care at certain centers, patients may encounter longer than usual wait times and some delays.

Are Ascension’s emergency rooms open?

All Ascension St. Vincent’s emergency rooms remain open. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 911, and local emergency services will transport you to the most appropriate hospital emergency room.

Can I still have my surgery?

Patients with upcoming scheduled surgeries should plan to arrive as planned unless otherwise notified. Should any rescheduling be necessary, a member of our care team will contact you directly.

Due to the transition to manual systems for patient documentation, patients may encounter longer than usual wait times and some delays. To help with delays, patients should bring notes on symptoms and a list of current medications, including prescription numbers or bottles.

Will I be able to get my diagnostic imaging, other tests, and treatments?

Some of our facilities have temporarily delayed diagnostic imaging and testing so that we can focus our resources on our inpatient and emergency care efforts. You will be contacted if your appointment needs to be rescheduled.

Commitment to Quality Care:

Our care teams are well versed on dynamic situations and are appropriately trained to maintain high quality care during downtime. Our leadership, physicians, care teams, and associates are working to ensure patient care continues with minimal to no interruption. We appreciate our community's patience and understanding.