Appalachian Regional Healthcare Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

ARH: No Patient Information Compromised in Cyberattack

After an investigation, officials with Appalachian Regional Healthcare say no patient or employee health or financial information was compromised in a recent cyberattack.

WYMT-TV reports a digital forensic team, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation teamed up to investigate in late August. ARH officials say in a statement that the group found malware that was only able to access files on one ARH test server that is used to test certain software programs.

The affected server didn’t house any personal information of ARH patients or employees.

ARH announced in August that the system of hospitals in Kentucky and West Virginia were operating under an Emergency Operations Plan because of a computer virus.

ARH is taking measures to prevent future cyberattacks.

Computer Virus Affects Hospitals' in KY and W.Va.

Federal authorities are investigating after a computer virus infected all electronic services of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare system in Kentucky and West Virginia.

ARH spokeswoman Melissa Cornett said in a statement Saturday that the system is dealing with technical complications.

She said the ARH system of hospitals in Kentucky and West Virginia are operating under the Emergency Operations Plan because of a computer virus “that has limited our use of electronic web-based services and electronic communications.”

All ARH computers have been shut down to prevent the virus from spreading. It’s unclear where the virus came from.

On Sunday, Cornett said that federal authorities were investigating the situation.

All patient-care, registration, medication, imaging and laboratory services are being managed manually. Critical patients may be transferred to another facility.

Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Nurses' Union Agree on Tentative Deal

Appalachian Regional Healthcare says it has agreed on a tentative contract with a union representing more than 700 registered nurses.

Appalachian says in a news release that the two sides agreed on the proposed deal late Wednesday.

The health care system says the Southern United Nurses/National Nurses United rescinded a one-day strike that was set for Thursday at Appalachian’s hospitals in Beckley and Hazard, Kentucky.

Details won’t be released until the union’s members have an opportunity to vote on the contract. The vote will be held later this week.

Appalachian employee and labor relations system director Julius Pearson says both sides sat down with a federal mediator on Wednesday afternoon to work through issues.