KDH working to restore systems following cybersecurity incident

Update November 25, 2021: Mammography and Bone Mineral Density patients, please be advised that pre-booked appointments are not able to proceed at this time due to residual effects of the cyber incident. Our Bookings Department will call you to reschedule.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) is working to restore its systems and regular service, following a cybersecurity incident which occurred on October 20, 2021.

A cyber incident forced the hospital to take its IT environment offline. Cybersecurity experts are currently working with KDH to contain the incident and we are running diagnostics to evaluate the full scope of the situation.

As communicated in a release, hospital administrators made the decision to temporarily close the Emergency Department yesterday evening once it became clear that it would not be possible to provide the highest quality and safe patient care in the Emergency Department in the absence of I.T. systems. KDH is currently operating under a “Code Grey”, which is declared when a hospital is dealing with a loss of essential services.

“The decision to close the Emergency Department was not taken lightly. KDH has an unwavering commitment to provide much needed medical services to the communities we serve. The Emergency Department will reopen when systems are restored,” said Frank Vassallo, KDH’s Chief Executive Officer.

In addition to the Emergency Department closure, outpatient x-rays and ultrasounds are currently on hold. Day surgeries and total joint replacement surgeries will continue as normal, although there may be some delays in registering patients, as this is being done manually rather than in the computer system.

The incident has been reported to the OPP Cyber Crime Unit, who visited KDH on October 20^th to conduct an assessment. KDH is also working with other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and the Municipality to keep them informed of the situation.

“In terms of resolution and path to recovery, it is still too early to make a fair assessment. We hope to have further clarity around the magnitude of the event and potential in-house resolutions in the next few days”, said Marcus Hewitt, KDH’s VP Finance and Chief Operating Officer.

KDH will work diligently to manage this situation in a responsible manner and to communicate as much information as possible to the public, patients, employees, and other interested parties as the situation evolves.

“We thank everyone involved for their patience while we are working very hard to restore our systems and services”, said Frank Vassallo.

About Kemptville District Hospital

Kemptville District Hospital is Accredited with Exemplary Standing, the highest ranking bestowed by Accreditation Canada. Committed to building healthier communities, we are a model of hospital-led integrated health services within the provincial health system. Kemptville District Hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in Ontario for both patient and employee satisfaction. We pride ourselves on being a good partner within the system. Kemptville District Hospital provides primary care management services, acute care hospital services, and advanced orthopedic care.

For further information contact:

Jenny Read, Communications Officer

T: 613-258-6133 extension 223

www.kdh.on.ca