The IT systems of the Rideau Valley Health Centre in Ottawa, ON have been effectively disabled due to a cybersecurity incident – the specifics of which have yet to be disclosed.
The cyber incident put a hold on the clinic’s capability to schedule appointments, and also affected Rideau Valley Health Centre’s phone services. The clinic announced that it is working to fix the issue immediately.
“We have engaged with third-party cyber security experts to thoroughly investigate the matter and to have our systems operational as soon as possible,” a statement on the clinic’s website said.
Rideau Valley Health Centre also gave assurances that none of its patients’ data was stolen.
“Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication that your personal information or privacy has been accessed or compromised,” it said. “We appreciate your patience and cooperation in working through this issue.”
While its IT systems were disabled, the clinic mentioned that the majority of physicians would still be able to attend to previously scheduled appointments. However, any pre-booked virtual phone appointments have been cancelled. In addition, callers to the clinic may run into delays due to a greater-than-normal volume of other incoming calls.
“Please be aware we may not be able to accommodate all urgent requests for appointments; you may be directed to visit another walk-in clinic or hospital emergency department,” the clinic stated.
Ottawa Citizen reported that the cyber incident at Rideau Valley Health Centre comes about a month after a separate cyber incident forced the Kemptville hospital to put its emergency department on freeze. Another cyber security event was reported on October 25, which affected the systems of the city of Clarence-Rockland.
