Special Report-Cyber Attacks

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Cyber attack causing critical problems not only here in Metro Detroit, but nationwide. This could be a bad one, all things considered. It's a, it's a perfect target. Tonight, one cyber expert calling the healthcare system a perfect target. A suspected cyber event impacted hospitals nationwide, causing disruption to clinical operations. Forcing them to use fax machines and write paper prescriptions, something younger resident physicians had never done before, saying it was, quote, a very different day. This is an unfortunate trend that we've seen over the last few years. MSU professor Tom Holt, who studies cybercrime, says with critical technology and lots of personal data, hospitals are the perfect target for cybercriminals, who do these attacks to earn a ransom. Something of this magnitude, if it is ransomware, is going to be millions of dollars in ransom. And that's a lot of money for an attacker group to just suddenly come up with welcome to Pulse Check, Wisconsin. Hello, everyone. How's it going? This is Dr. Ford again, ER physician here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And I wanted to do this special report to address some questions that I've been getting thus far about what a lot of folks have seen in recent days and weeks and months regarding cyber attacks and health care. Before I get started, I will say that this is not a representation of any individual health care system. these statements that I'll say now are just reflection of myself as well as Pulse Check WI and any shared experiences that I've had in the past in dealing with similar events. What we have seen since February, I believe it was a CNN report, uh, that stated since February, there's been about 77 official attacks, cyber attacks on hospital systems. a lot of times, the cyber attacks are targeted to hospital systems. They can target different aspects of care. So there have been events in which they've targeted electronic medical record systems. Of the monitoring that we use in the hospital systems as well as the pharmaceutical distribution machines, things like that. What I will say is, is that a lot of these attacks, as we've seen in recent years, have been associated with what we call ransomware or groups that will hack into a system and will try to obtain financial gains from holding these hospitals essentially hostage from a standpoint of care. Now, there has been a publicized. Cyber attack of a large hospital organization throughout the country, in recent days, and it has affected many folks. As you heard from the story at the beginning of this piece, both from the health care realm, as well as their patients. There have been elective surgeries, which have been canceled. There have been hospitals that have gone on what we call diversion. Meaning that the ambulances will avoid going to those hospitals because, you know, something is going on in the hospital system that's delaying care in some cases, and in this case, it's more so the electronic medical record system or the computer system that we used to document as well as to make orders and put in interpretations of CT scans, things of that nature have all been down. What I will say. Um, is that as I said before, this is something that is affecting folks nationally, um, is affecting people here in the state of Wisconsin as well. And again, I won't provide any formal statement. These are just my opinions, not any opinion from any hospital system or reflection of any hospital system as well. Um, but in working in these situations in the past, as well as. Presently what I will say is, is that there is a host of individuals who are working tirelessly around the clock in order to remedy the situation. And again, I can only speak from the provider standpoint in interfacing with the doctors, the nurses, the technicians, the physician assistants folks are coming to work every day and are giving 110 percent every day coming up with novel techniques in order to make your care. More streamlined and as safe as possible in these situations. And I cannot commend my colleagues enough. I cannot commend the patients enough for their patience in any delays of care that will occur. Uh, our pre hospital colleagues and EMS are working tirelessly as well in order to kind of help coordinate where patients will go and the highest level of care. That could be given to patients during these times in which some hospitals may be working without full strength. And so again, my heart goes out to everyone. I am honored to be a part of this interdisciplinary team and for all the patients out there, rest assured that we will get through this. And, you know, this is, again, I was talking to a colleague the other day where we talked about, this is a another once in a lifetime once in a career. Incident that occurs COVID being the first in which we've all had to come up with novel techniques in order to streamline our care and to make the hospital safer for you in the setting of this national disaster and in the pandemics case, international disaster. And so. What I want you guys to know is that we're all working very hard to deliver the care that you deserve and to make your environment as safe as possible when you come to the hospitals. Currently in the state of Wisconsin all the emergency departments are available for you to seek care. So feel free to seek care. Wherever you would normally seek care. I would check in with your providers, your primary physicians, which are surgeons. If you have any elective surgeries that are upcoming to ensure that that is still on check in with your primary care doctors, especially to see if there been any changes. In how the appointments are set up and how the follow up appointments are are going forward now kind of given the situation so again, we will get through this. We are working around the clock in order to ensure that we are bringing you the best care that you deserve and the best care that is possible. So but that being said. We will resume pulse check Wisconsin in the upcoming weeks. There is a new episode that will be coming up as well. So keep your eyes out for that. And until then, as always, take care of yourselves, take care of each other. And if you need me, come and see me.