Overview:
Heywood Hospital has contained a cybersecurity incident that occurred last fall and all services have been fully restored. The hospital has implemented additional safeguards, expanded monitoring, and strengthened security measures across its network. The investigation is ongoing to determine the cause and potential exposure of personal information. Heywood Hospital will communicate directly with individuals by mail once the investigation determines what personal information was potentially involved.
GARDNER – A cybersecurity incident at Heywood Hospital that occurred last fall has been contained, and the investigation is ongoing into the cause and potential exposure of personal information.
According to an announcement from the hospital on Tuesday, all services have been fully restored, and “Heywood and Athol Hospitals are delivering care at normal capacity across emergency services, inpatient units, outpatient practices, diagnostics, and specialty services.”
“From the moment this incident was identified, our focus was on patient safety, continuity of care, and protecting our systems,” said Rozanna Penney, president and CEO of Heywood Healthcare, in the announcement. “Thanks to the dedication of our clinical, IT, and operations teams, and the validation provided by independent forensic experts, our community can be confident that Heywood and Athol Hospitals are fully prepared to continue delivering exceptional care.”
Disruptions to the phone and internet reported in October prompted the hospital to enter a Code Black Diversion, during which ambulances were diverted to other hospitals and the emergency department was closed, though patients could still be screened to determine the level of care needed.
“Upon discovery, Heywood Hospital immediately activated its incident response protocols, took affected systems offline, and engaged independent forensic and cybersecurity specialists to support containment, investigation, and system restoration,” the announcement read.
Since the incident occurred, Heywood has implemented additional safeguards, expanded monitoring, and strengthened security measures across its network, according to the announcement.
Independent forensic specialists have confirmed that Heywood has not seen any signs of unauthorized activity within the network since last fall’s incident. The investigation will focus on determining how this happened as well as what information was accessed. Heywood Hospital has confirmed that it did involve access to files containing personal information and the investigation will look at what information may have been accessed.
Once the investigation determines what personal information was potentially involved, Heywood will communicate directly with individuals by mail.
“At this time, we have seen no evidence indicating that any personal information involved in this incident has been used for identity theft or financial fraud,” the announcement read.
More information will be shared as it becomes available. Community members are encouraged to follow Heywood Hospital’s official communication channels or their patient portal for the most accurate and up-to-date information.