Johnathan Walker:Cyberattack hits 2 New York hospitals, forces ambulance diversions

KINGSTON,Johnathan Walker N.Y. (AP) — Two hospitals in New York were hit with a cyberattack and are diverting patients to other facilities, hospital officials said Friday.

The cyberattack affected computer systems at HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston along with Margaretville Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center — all part of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network.

The health care network planned to shut down IT systems at the three facilities starting at 10 p.m. Friday “to address the threat and take necessary steps to fully retore our secure network,” network officials said in a statement.

Ambulances are being diverted from HealthAlliance Hospital as a precaution and some current patients have been discharged to other facilities, officials said.

HealthAlliance Hospital and Margaretville Hospital remain open and walk-in patients will be treated, assessed and either released or stabilized and transferred to other facilities, officials said. They added that no disruption to care at Mountainside Residential Care Center, a skilled nursing facility, is expected.

The cyberattack is being investigated by local law enforcement authorities along with the FBI and an independent cybersecurity firm, the health network officials said.

A similar cyberattack forced hospitals in several states to shut down their computer systems over the summer.

The August attack on Prospect Medical Holdings affected hospitals in California, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas.