Cyber Attack Cripples University of New Mexico Hospital System, Forces Closures

Albuquerque –

A cybersecurity incident crippled computer systems at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center on Monday, forcing temporary restrictions on patient admissions, the suspension of outpatient procedures and the cancellation of classes, university officials said.

The incident affected the Health Sciences Center, which includes UNM Health’s clinical care system. Officials did not disclose who was responsible or whether patient information was compromised.

University information technology security teams moved to contain the incident and protect the network, while also notifying state and federal law enforcement agencies and bringing in outside partners to assist with the investigation.

University leaders activated an Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the response and communicate guidance to employees, students and health care providers.

From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, UNM Health temporarily limited its acceptance of new patients while responding to the disruption. The outages also forced the suspension of outpatient surgeries and appointments for the remainder of the day.

The health system began restoring operations at 2:30 p.m., bringing systems back online in phases as conditions allowed. UNMH’s media advisory said patients would be contacted to reschedule missed appointments and procedures.

The university also canceled classes on the Health Sciences campus and dismissed nonessential employees as part of efforts to protect its network.

UNM’s Health Sciences academic and research units will remain closed Tuesday, October 27, and all classes, including online and remote instruction, have been canceled.

UNM employees in designated critical areas are expected to maintain their regular schedules. UNM Hospital and UNM Medical Group employees are expected to return to work Tuesday, while students with clinical responsibilities should report to their assigned duty stations.

The university said it would provide an update on outpatient surgeries and appointments scheduled for Tuesday later on Monday evening or early Tuesday.

Officials thanked health systems in Albuquerque and Santa Fe for helping ensure patients had access to care during the disruption.

The incident remains under investigation, and as a result UNMH stated they were limited in what they could disclose while law enforcement agencies investigate.

“We recognize this event may have impacted patients, employees and students,” the university said, thanking them for their patience as response teams work to restore systems and operations.

A person waiting in the emergency room of another local hospital said the closure of UNM Hospital’s emergency department amid the system wide disruption had created widespread chaos and significantly increased wait times at other hospitals.

Chris Ramirez, Director of Communications for UNMH, confirmed in response to an inquiry about the hospital’s Level I trauma availability that UNMH is “back online to take all levels of trauma.” UNMH is the state’s only Level I trauma center, providing specialized care for the most severe injuries, including gunshot wounds and stabbings, as well as complex cases requiring neurosurgical intervention that other local area hospitals may not be equipped to handle.