Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay declared a “code grey” late Sunday night (February 5) after a suspected cybersecurity incident.
At Ontario hospitals, a code grey is initiated following the loss of a critical system such as a utility or information technology (for example, due to ransomeware), resulting in the potential loss of use of hospital facilities.
According to a media release, Ross Memorial Hospital has retained third-party cybersecurity resources to work with the hospital’s technical experts to investigate the incident, according to industry best practices.
“In the meantime, as high-quality patient care is our priority, we are managing our established protocols to maintain continued delivery of our critical hospital services,” the media release states. “Our systems restoration plan is also ongoing, and we are communicating with our local, regional, and provincial partners regarding next steps.”
While the code grey is in effect, the hospital is encouraging patients with less urgent conditions to consider alternate options for care, such as their primary health care provider, pharmacist, after-hours clinic, virtual care, or by calling Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0007. After-hours clinics can often treat non-urgent and minor illnesses and ailments, such as earaches, sore throats or prescription refills.
The hospital will provide updates on its website at rmh.org and via the hospital’s social media channels.
