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Microsoft Outage SPOTREP

July 19, 2024  /  TLP:GREEN

Healthcare Ready is ENGAGED for this event. We are monitoring potential concerns for supply chain disruptions and impacts on healthcare services on our Alert Hub.

Contents

• Situation Overview and Highlights
• Impacts to Healthcare
• Supply Chain and Logistics 

Situation Overview and Highlights

The issue originated from a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that disabled Windows computers, affecting various health systems differently, with some continuing operations with delays while others suspended services entirely. 

Stemming from a defect found in a single update for Windows hosts – Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack.  

A fix is available, but many affected computer systems cannot be updated remotely, requiring hands-on manual updating.  

This situation is evolving rapidly, and Healthcare Ready will provide major updates as they are received.

Impacts to Healthcare

• Patient Records
  • Hospitals in the United States reported experiencing issues with systems from both Epic and Cerner. 
  • Hospitals and healthcare providers cannot gain access to clinical systems, including patient health records and scheduling.
  • In many cases, facilities and health systems are reverting to paper-based systems which can significantly impact the speed of patient care. 

• EMS
  • Emergency services in some states, such as Alaska, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Iowa, are using alternative numbers, manual, and paper systems while their 911 and response other services are impacted.  

• Hospitals
  • Some Hospitals across the U.S. and globally are canceling elective procedures, outpatient care, and non-urgent medical visits due to a major worldwide software outage affecting healthcare systems and patient records. 
  • Hospitals are rescheduling procedures requiring anesthesia.
  • Patients receiving cancer treatment face long wait times for chemotherapy treatments and are being rescheduled when possible.
  • Patients at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are being rescheduled and patients are advised to stay home until further notice.
  • There are no known reports at this time of any impacts to medical devices. 

• Laboratory Services 
  • Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics, two of the world's largest clinical laboratory networks, are experiencing disruptions across several business systems, call center operations, and delivering results through physician and patient portals.  

• Government Services
  • Assessment is ongoing at the federal level to understand impacts and ongoing disruptions.
  • The FCC is working closely with other federal agencies to provide assistance and determine the extent of disruptions, including those affecting 911 services.
•  Pharmacy 
  • Some states have activated emergency operations centers.
  • CVS Health Corp reported that as of Friday morning its drugstores and pharmacies were operating normally.
  • Some electronic prescription systems have been impacted, more information is pending. 

Supply Chain and Logistics

• Supply Chain Logistics
  
  
  • There are no current reports of disruptions in healthcare supply logistics
    
    
  • The IT disruption is also impacting the logistics sector, with FedEx and UPS reporting "substantial disruptions" to its networks and warning of possible delays for package deliveries scheduled for Friday.
    
    
  • Airlines impacted include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, and United Airlines.
    
    
  • Public transit systems throughout the US are reporting impacts.  

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