Cyberattack Forces New Mexico's Largest Hospital System to Divert Ambulances and Cancel Surgeries

The University of New Mexico Health System said it suffered a cyberattack on Monday that forced its IT team to contain the problem and notify federal law enforcement. For about two hours, ambulances were diverted to health systems in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Outpatient surgeries and appointments were suspended for the rest of the day. A spokesperson said the threat was affecting the entire University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, which also includes an academic campus and medical research facilities.

Local news outlets reported that staff received a phone alert telling them to turn off and unplug all desktops and to disconnect mobile devices from the hospital Wi-Fi. The health system serves a large share of the state's uninsured population and runs the state's only burn unit, children's hospital and Level 1 trauma centre. Late on Monday afternoon it began bringing systems back online, and affected patients are being rescheduled.

Appointments were due to resume as normal on Tuesday. However, classes across several health sciences colleges were cancelled, including online and remote classes, and academic and research units stayed closed. Nonessential staff were asked to stay home. Because the matter is an active law enforcement investigation, the spokesperson said little can be shared, and did not respond when asked whether ransomware was involved.