The Peru Gazette

The UVM Health Network is now nearly a week into our response to a cyberattack that continues to affect systems throughout our health system. I want to update you on our efforts and the work that lies ahead.

Our teams continue to work around the clock with the aim of restoring the network’s systems as soon as we can. We’re also getting a much firmer handle on the scope and complexity of this situation, and we know it is going to take more time to work through these issues. We are giving top priority to systems that are critical to patient care. But it’s important for our patients and communities to know that this won’t be like flipping a light switch, and we don’t yet have a firm time frame for system restoration. Based on our consultations with other health care institutions that have been through this, it’s clear that every event is different.

This situation is frustrating and concerning for our patients and for everyone in our health network. Even communication via phone has been intermittently problematic, and we’re working to address that. We’ve set up a web page where patients can get more detailed, facility-specific information on affected services: UVMHealth.org/cyberattack. Please feel free to share this information with those in your communities. We’ll be updating that web page regularly.

I want to emphasize the fact that we are dedicating every available resource to restoring our systems, and we are making progress. The balance we are striking is to work as quickly as possible while also being as careful as possible, so that our systems are running correctly and securely when we bring them back online.

I also want to call out the response of our health network’s staff over the past week. One of the key elements of our mission is preserving access to needed services, and we work together so that we can continue to do that even when times are difficult. As is the case with our ongoing response to COVID-19, we’re seeing staff on both sides of the lake finding common solutions to the problems presented by this cyberattack. To call out just a few examples: Central Vermont Medical Center is helping UVM Medical Center with lab work and imaging; Elizabethtown Community Hospital has accepted inpatient transfers from Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital; and our Home Health & Hospice affiliate is providing space and internet access to assist UVM Medical Center.

This cyberattack is the latest chapter in what’s been an incredibly difficult year for our region and for our health system. I ask for – and very much appreciate – your ongoing support, partnership and patience as we work through these challenges. I can promise you that we will continue to tap into every resource available to resolve these issues, and we will keep you updated as we make progress.

Sincerely,

John R. Brumsted, MD

President and CEO, The University of Vermont Health Network