Nearly a week after a cyberattack crippled the Ascension hospital system, patients and staff in Wisconsin are grappling with persistent problems and unanswered questions.

Patient Frustrations Mount

Crystal Love, an Ascension patient, expressed her frustration, narrating her ordeal of having to remove her own IV and not being able to see her doctor for follow-up care after experiencing health issues. Love’s experience mirrors that of many others caught in the aftermath of the cyberattack.

Disrupted Access to Care

The health care provider confirmed a ransomware attack, causing disruption in accessing patient records. Patients across Wisconsin are facing dire consequences, from inability to obtain necessary medication to delays in critical treatments like chemotherapy.

Impact on Medical Services

Emergency room services are severely affected, with dangerous delays in obtaining essential lab and imaging results. Nurses and staff are inundated with patient inquiries but are unable to provide satisfactory answers due to the cyberattack-induced chaos.

Operational Challenges

The cyberattack has forced hospitals to resort to manual record-keeping, posing significant challenges, especially in outpatient care and radiology where access to previous medical records is crucial for effective treatment.

Call for Patience

Connie Smith, president of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses, highlighted the challenges of working without digital records, emphasizing the importance of patience amidst the crisis. Both patients and medical staff are enduring immense frustration as they navigate through the aftermath of the cyberattack.

Seeking Solutions

As Ascension assures to notify individuals if their information was compromised, patients are advised to arrive early for appointments amidst the ongoing disruption in services.

Conclusion: Navigating Through Crisis

The cyberattack on Ascension hospitals has plunged Wisconsin’s healthcare system into turmoil, leaving patients and staff grappling with unprecedented challenges. With no immediate resolution in sight, patience remains the only solace for those affected as they navigate through this crisis.

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