According to its latest update posted Monday night, HSHS Medical Group said access to some patient services has been restored following a "cybersecurity incident" that brought down systems last week.
The update listed the following:
- Hospitals and emergency departments remain open and are receiving and treating patients
- Patients can schedule elective and non-elective procedures
- Nearly all our hospital and clinic phone lines are back in service
- Patient billing services are currently suspended
It also said all phone systems in Illinois and Wisconsin hospitals and clinics are now available. But also noted callers may continue to experience some delays or connectivity issues this week.
Illinois
HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield 217-544-6464
HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, O’Fallon 618-234-2120
HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur 217-464-2966
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Highland 618-651-2600
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese 618-526-4511
HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham 217-342-2121
HSHS St. Francis Hospital, Litchfield 217-324-2191
HSHS Holy Family, Greenville 618-664-1230
HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, Shelbyville 217-774-3961
Wisconsin
HSHS St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay 920-433-0111
HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay 920-498-4200
HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, Sheboygan 920-459-8300
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, Oconto Falls920-846-3444
HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire 715-717-4121
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chippewa Falls 715-723-1811
Prevea Health
"We are prioritizing patient safety as we establish a process for restoration. With the support of third-party experts, we are bringing our systems back online as quickly and as safely as possible. A health system of our size operates hundreds of system applications across thousands of servers, and as such, our restoration and investigative work will take some time to complete. That is why we are approaching the process with such clarity of purpose: patient safety must come first," HSHS said.
The following responses to frequently asked questions were also posted:
Q. Are your hospitals open? Are you continuing to see patients?
Yes. Please know most HSHS hospital and clinic locations remain open, and we continue to safely care for all patients.
Q. When will all systems be restored?
We are working diligently to bring all of our systems back online as quickly and as safely as possible, and we are prioritizing patient safety as we establish a process for restoration. We are making steady progress in our restoration process.
While we undergo this restoration process, please know that we have implemented alternative processes to ensure that we can continue receiving and treating patients. We will continue to provide updates on the restoration process, as appropriate.
Q. Is my information compromised?
The investigative process into the scope of the incident is ongoing and will take time to complete. If we determine any patients’ sensitive, personal information is involved, we will notify them in accordance with applicable law.
Q. Will I be charged a penalty for late payments on my bills?
HSHS does not charge late payment fees.
Q. I received a suspicious communication that appears to be a fraudulent bill. What should I do?
At this time, HSHS is not collecting payments from any patients for outstanding bills. We will notify you when billing processes are back up and running. That being said, we are aware of certain HSHS partners in Wisconsin and Illinois that are sending out bills to patients. You should review all bills carefully to ensure they are for services that were rendered. Should you have any questions, please reach out to your provider.
Additionally, we have received some reports that people are receiving emails, texts and phone calls claiming to be HSHS representatives seeking payment for services. Should you receive such a message that looks suspicious, please do not respond. We ask that you save them so that we can track and investigate the source. Please forward the information to questions@hshs.org.
Q. How do I schedule an appointment?
To schedule an appointment, please contact your provider or refer to the hospital contact information and reach out to the HSHS hospital where you receive care.
Q. My appointment was canceled. When will I hear from someone to reschedule?
We apologize for the inconvenience. We will be contacting patients to reschedule as soon as we can and as our systems become available.
Q. Can I get my prescription from your pharmacies?
Our inpatient pharmacy is successfully operating in downtime as we continue to care for our hospital inpatients.
Currently, our outpatient HSHS St. John’s Community Pharmacy is unable to access or fill digital prescription orders. Please contact your provider to supply an alternative pharmacy with your prescription.
Additionally, some of our hospitals are providing patients with written prescriptions to take to the pharmacy of their choice.
If you have questions regarding your prescription, please contact your provider.
Q. How/when will I get my test/lab results?
Once MyChart is available, patients will be able to access their results.
Q. I don’t recall when or where my appointment is – how do I figure that out?
Once MyChart is available, patients will be able to access their future appointments. In the meantime, patients whose appointments are with a provider in the next week can call the practice to verify their appointment date/time.
Q. I need to get ahold of my home health or hospice nurse – how do I do that?
Your nurses will call the night before or the morning of to schedule your visit time. Clinicians use your home calendars to let you know what days your visits are scheduled. If you need to get a hold of your home health or hospice nurse, you may call 1-800-551-6566. This number is available 24/7.
