Another NJ healthcare provider targeted in cyberattack

🔴 Capital Health Healthcare experienced outages

🔴 It is the second New Jersey healthcare provider to be attacked

🔴 A phone outage at Capital Health facilities is unrelated

A second New Jersey healthcare system is reporting a cyberattack on its computer network during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Hackensack Meridian Health System said a ransomware attack on the computer network for Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood and Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair happened during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Both facilities diverted new patients from their emergency rooms.

On Tuesday, Capital Health, with three hospitals in Hopewell and Trenton and offices around Mercer, Burlington and Bucks counties, acknowledged a network outage it believes to be a cybersecurity attack.

"We continue to care for patients in both hospitals, including our emergency rooms, in our practices, and at all other locations under established protocols for system downtimes where necessary. We are prioritizing safe patient care, while working to restore the network and address the impact of this disruption," spokeswoman Kate Stier said in a statement.

The hospital is working with law enforcement and third-party experts to address the issue, Stier said. She did not disclose if any patient information was exposed.

A phone problem that resulted in callers to many Capital Health facilities getting a busy signal was unrelated. Phone service was restored late Tuesday afternoon.

Hackensack Meridian Health still dealing with cyberattack

A cyberattack over the Thanksgiving weekend also affected Capital Health Medical Center in Hopewell, according to the hospital. Compounding the problem is a problem with the hospital's phone service, which rings busy when dialed.

Hackensack Meridian Health spokeswoman Chiara Marababol told New Jersey 101.5 that Pascack Valley remained on full divert while Mountainside is allowing ambulances to bring non-critical care patients.

"As we work to bring our systems back online, each hospital will continue to evaluate its ability to safely care for critically ill patients in its emergency room. Because this is rapidly changing and dependent upon a number of factors, our status may continue to change as the situation changes," Marababol said in a statement.

They are the only Hackensack Meridian Health facilities affected by the attack.

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