Special Report-Cyber Attacks

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Cyber attack causing criticalproblems not only here in Metro

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Detroit, but nationwide.
This could be a bad one, allthings considered.
It's a, it's a perfect target.
Tonight, one cyber expertcalling the healthcare system a
perfect target.
A suspected cyber event impactedhospitals nationwide, causing
disruption to clinicaloperations.
Forcing them to use fax machinesand write paper prescriptions,

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something younger residentphysicians had never done
before, saying it was, quote, avery different day.
This is an unfortunate trendthat we've seen over the last
few years.
MSU professor Tom Holt, whostudies cybercrime, says with
critical technology and lots ofpersonal data, hospitals are the
perfect target forcybercriminals, who do these
attacks to earn a ransom.

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Something of this magnitude, ifit is ransomware, is going to be
millions of dollars in ransom.
And that's a lot of money for anattacker group to just suddenly
come up with welcome to PulseCheck, Wisconsin.

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Hello, everyone.
How's it going?
This is Dr.
Ford again, ER physician here inMilwaukee, Wisconsin.
And I wanted to do this specialreport to address some questions
that I've been getting thus farabout what a lot of folks have
seen in recent days and weeksand months regarding cyber

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attacks and health care.
Before I get started, I will saythat this is not a
representation of any individualhealth care system.
these statements that I'll saynow are just reflection of
myself as well as Pulse Check WIand any shared experiences that
I've had in the past in dealingwith similar events.

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What we have seen sinceFebruary, I believe it was a CNN
report, uh, that stated sinceFebruary, there's been about 77
official attacks, cyber attackson hospital systems.
a lot of times, the cyberattacks are targeted to hospital
systems.
They can target differentaspects of care.

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So there have been events inwhich they've targeted
electronic medical recordsystems.
Of the monitoring that we use inthe hospital systems as well as
the pharmaceutical distributionmachines, things like that.
What I will say is, is that alot of these attacks, as we've

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seen in recent years, have beenassociated with what we call
ransomware or groups that willhack into a system and will try
to obtain financial gains fromholding these hospitals
essentially hostage from astandpoint of care.
Now, there has been apublicized.

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Cyber attack of a large hospitalorganization throughout the
country, in recent days, and ithas affected many folks.
As you heard from the story atthe beginning of this piece,
both from the health care realm,as well as their patients.
There have been electivesurgeries, which have been

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canceled.
There have been hospitals thathave gone on what we call
diversion.
Meaning that the ambulances willavoid going to those hospitals
because, you know, something isgoing on in the hospital system
that's delaying care in somecases, and in this case, it's
more so the electronic medicalrecord system or the computer
system that we used to documentas well as to make orders and

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put in interpretations of CTscans, things of that nature
have all been down.
What I will say.
Um, is that as I said before,this is something that is
affecting folks nationally, um,is affecting people here in the
state of Wisconsin as well.
And again, I won't provide anyformal statement.

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These are just my opinions, notany opinion from any hospital
system or reflection of anyhospital system as well.
Um, but in working in thesesituations in the past, as well
as.
Presently what I will say is, isthat there is a host of
individuals who are workingtirelessly around the clock in

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order to remedy the situation.
And again, I can only speak fromthe provider standpoint in
interfacing with the doctors,the nurses, the technicians, the
physician assistants folks arecoming to work every day and are
giving 110 percent every daycoming up with novel techniques

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in order to make your care.
More streamlined and as safe aspossible in these situations.
And I cannot commend mycolleagues enough.
I cannot commend the patientsenough for their patience in any
delays of care that will occur.
Uh, our pre hospital colleaguesand EMS are working tirelessly

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as well in order to kind of helpcoordinate where patients will
go and the highest level ofcare.
That could be given to patientsduring these times in which some
hospitals may be working withoutfull strength.
And so again, my heart goes outto everyone.
I am honored to be a part ofthis interdisciplinary team and

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for all the patients out there,rest assured that we will get
through this.
And, you know, this is, again, Iwas talking to a colleague the
other day where we talked about,this is a another once in a
lifetime once in a career.
Incident that occurs COVID beingthe first in which we've all had

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to come up with novel techniquesin order to streamline our care
and to make the hospital saferfor you in the setting of this
national disaster and in thepandemics case, international
disaster.
And so.
What I want you guys to know isthat we're all working very hard
to deliver the care that youdeserve and to make your

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environment as safe as possiblewhen you come to the hospitals.
Currently in the state ofWisconsin all the emergency
departments are available foryou to seek care.
So feel free to seek care.
Wherever you would normally seekcare.
I would check in with yourproviders, your primary
physicians, which are surgeons.
If you have any electivesurgeries that are upcoming to

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ensure that that is still oncheck in with your primary care
doctors, especially to see ifthere been any changes.
In how the appointments are setup and how the follow up
appointments are are goingforward now kind of given the
situation so again, we will getthrough this.

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We are working around the clockin order to ensure that we are
bringing you the best care thatyou deserve and the best care
that is possible.
So but that being said.
We will resume pulse checkWisconsin in the upcoming weeks.
There is a new episode that willbe coming up as well.
So keep your eyes out for that.

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And until then, as always, takecare of yourselves, take care of
each other.
And if you need me, come and seeme.