UT Health East Texas drops divert status

TYLER — UT Health East Texas confirmed that they are off divert status as of Tuesday morning and are treating patients in emergency rooms, hospitals and clinics.  The initial divert status was issued following a ransomware attack on the computer system of their parent company, Ardent Health Services. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Ransomware is designed to encrypt files and make them unusable before a hacker demands ransom in exchange for decryption. As of Monday, Ardent said it “cannot confirm the extent of any patient health or financial data that has been compromised,” but said they reported the event to law enforcement and hired third-party forensic and threat intelligence advisors. Ardent took its network offline after the attack, but that is no longer the case.

UT Health Communications Director Allison Pollan released a statement regarding Tuesday’s tree lighting: “In light of recent events, it will be necessary to reschedule the UT Health Tyler tree-lighting ceremony originally planned for Tuesday, Nov. 28. As work continues to fully restore access to our systems, we are committed to remaining focused on hospital operations and providing quality care for our patients and their families. Thank you for your understanding, and we will let you know as soon as we have a rescheduled date to announce.”