Cyberattack forces radiology practice to close ‘for the foreseeable future’
A cyberattack has forced a radiology practice to close “for the foreseeable future.”
Pinehurst Radiology Associates recently gave notice of the incident, launching an investigation after detecting suspicious activity on its network. Located in the Sandhills of North Carolina’s Moore County, the practice has hired legal counsel and cybersecurity specialists following the attack, the Pilot reported Feb. 5.
“As a result of this event, certain Pinehurst Radiology Associates systems remain offline, and Pinehurst Radiology Associates is not able to schedule patients for mammography or ultrasound services,” the practice said.
Offices will remain closed until further notice, and Pinehurst is urging patients to contact their referrers if they have an appointment.
“The investigation into the scope and nature of the event is ongoing and we appreciate your patience while we conduct a thorough investigation,” the practice said, according to the news outlet. “PRA has notified and is working with federal, state and local law enforcement regarding this event.”
Partner hospital FirstHealth, which has not been impacted by the cyberattack, has expanded its hours and opened additional appointment slots during the interruption. The health system offers mammography and ultrasound across its Moore, Hoke, Lee, Richmond and Montgomery campuses. Around since 1983, Pinehurst Radiology employs 13 radiologists and two physician assistants.
Pinehurst is not alone, with numerous radiology practices facing with cyber concerns in recent years.
University Diagnostic Medical Imaging in the he Bronx, New York, reported a cyberattack last month. East River Medical Imaging PC in the same state recently experienced a security breach, too, and was forced to pay $1.85 million to settle a class action lawsuit claiming it failed to protect patient information.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.