East Tennessee Children's Hospital Experiencing Security Issue

East Tennessee Children's Hospital (ETCH) fell victim to an "information technology security issue" on March 13, a notice on its website stated.

At the time of publication, the children's hospital appeared to be still working to resolve some ongoing disruptions. ETCH has been regularly updating its Facebook page with the latest information.

"Maintaining the safety and security of our patients and their care is our top priority. We are still able to care for our patients," ETCH said in its website notice.

"Our cyber forensics teams and outside agencies are doing everything possible to minimize any disruption. The response is active and still ongoing. We apologize for any inconvenience, and ask for your patience as we address this issue."

On March 14, the hospital told patients via Facebook that X-Ray services would not be available at any Children's Hospital Urgent Care Centers for the remainder of the night.

On March 15, the hospital directed patients of the East Tennessee Children's Hospital Developmental Behavioral Center to call the center if they had a scheduled appointment. The post said that the center did not have access to emails sent after Friday afternoon.

Matthew Schaefer, CEO of ETCH, issued an additional statement regarding the incident on March 15, as reported by local news station WATE:  

"East Tennessee Children's Hospital (ETCH) continues to care for our patients as we address the ongoing information technology issue. We have processes to ensure we can safely and effectively care for our patients in these circumstances. We want our community to know that if a child needs our services, do not delay care as we are able to treat any child who needs our expert care.

While the response to the I.T. issue remains active and ongoing, our cyber forensics teams and outside agencies are doing everything possible to minimize any disruptions. We would like to thank the community for trusting us with the healthcare of our children and thank our team, whose dedication is unparalleled in this region. Thank you for your patience, understanding and partnership. We will provide updated information as it is available."

It is unclear at this time whether patient data was exposed during this incident.