Massachusetts hospitals Heywood and Athol hit by cyberattack, divert ambulances

Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Massachusetts, and Athol Hospital in Athol, Massachusetts, are reporting a cybersecurity incident that caused network outages and disrupted hospital operations. 

The attack forced both facilities to take systems offline and use emergency protocols, including a Code Black ambulance diversion after phones and internet services were disrupted. Both hospitals remain open and continue to provide patient care, the incident caused operational challenges as communications systems remain spotty during the ongoing recovery process.

The hospitals engaged a third-party cybersecurity firm to assist with incident response, forensic investigation, and recovery efforts. The decision to enact a Code Black ambulance diversion was necessary because the disruption of communication systems meant it was almost impossible to coordinate emergency patient transfers and communicate with emergency medical services. 

Hospital officials have not disclosed the nature of the attack, any exposed data or number of affected individuals.

Both Heywood Hospital and Athol Hospital are working to restore full functionality to their networks while maintaining continuity of patient care operations.