AnMed Health System Closes Facilities in SC/GA After Malware Attack

Malware Forces Facility Closures

AnMed, a non-profit health system serving South Carolina and Georgia, announced on Sunday that it was experiencing a "cybersecurity disruption involving malware." This incident led to the closure of dozens of its departments and facilities across the region. The health system had initially reported phone and internet outages across all its facilities.

Operational Impact

As a direct result of the malware attack, AnMed published a list of affected services on Monday. All imaging, OBGYN, and primary care clinics, along with all medical group offices, are closed. Urgent care services, however, remain open. The health system operates four hospitals and over 60 physician practices, serving northeast Georgia and upstate South Carolina.

Coordination and Patient Care

AnMed is coordinating with emergency medical services, regional hospitals, and public safety partners to ensure patients continue to receive necessary care. This coordination aims to direct patients to appropriate settings while the internal systems are being restored and the scope of the incident is determined.

Broader Industry Context

This incident is part of a larger trend of cyberattacks targeting the healthcare industry. Recent reports, such as one by IBM, indicate that data breaches in healthcare have consistently been the costliest across all industries for the past 12 years, averaging $7.4 million per incident. Healthcare breaches also take longer to detect and resolve compared to other sectors, averaging 279 days.