Blast Radius: Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Facilites Have a Ripple Effect

The recent ransomware attack on Frederick Health Hospital has had a significant ripple effect, impacting not only its own operations but also straining resources at neighboring healthcare facilities like Meritus Medical Center.  

Meritus has had to increase staffing to accommodate a surge in patient volume, largely due to limited capacity at Frederick Health following its IT system disruption, according to reports.

Frederick Health confirmed that the cyberattack, detected on January 27, affected its IT infrastructure, forcing the hospital to adjust operations. While its emergency department remained open for walk-in patients, ambulance transports were diverted as necessary, leading to an overflow of patients at surrounding hospitals.  

Despite efforts to maintain care, Frederick Health warned of potential delays in services as it worked with third-party cybersecurity experts to restore systems.

At Meritus Medical Center, the influx of patients has placed additional strain on its emergency department and ICU, which were already dealing with an expected seasonal rise in flu, COVID-19, and respiratory illnesses. Hospital officials responded by increasing staffing, including enlisting managers to assist in patient care.  

However, the sudden surge highlights how a cyberattack on one hospital can disrupt the entire regional healthcare system, creating delays and complications for patients in need of urgent care.

Although Meritus Health confirmed it has not been affected by a cyberattack, the hospital has experienced the indirect consequences of the ransomware incident at Frederick Health. The increased patient load has affected multiple hospital departments, amplifying stress on healthcare workers and potentially delaying critical treatments.

Frederick Health President and CEO Tom Kleinhanzl acknowledged the attack’s impact, stating that while staff are trained to handle such emergencies, IT disruptions inevitably create challenges. The hospital is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity specialists to contain the breach and restore operations as safely as possible.

Takeaway: This incident underscores the broader risks of ransomware attacks on healthcare infrastructure. Beyond compromising internal systems, ransomware attacks can disrupt regional medical services, forcing neighboring hospitals to absorb additional patients and putting further strain on an already burdened healthcare system.

Researchers have already documented the consequences ransomware attacks have on patient outcomes, and now we see evidence of impact to patient care not only at the affected facilities, but also in the regional healthcare ecosystem.  

One study found a direct link between ransomware attacks and negative patient outcomes, with increased mortality rates and more complications in medical procedures at hospitals who have been the victim of a ransomware attack.  

Another study found that between 2016 and 2021, ransomware attacks contributed to between 42 and 67 patient deaths, as well as a 33% increase in death rates per month for hospitalized Medicare patients being treated at facilities that have suffered a ransomware attack.

The immediate impact on the affected hospital is clear, with critical systems being rendered inoperable, leading to delays in care, breakdowns in communication, and an increased risk of medical errors.  

However, the damage does not stop there—it cascades across the entire regional healthcare system, impacting neighboring hospitals and patient outcomes on a regional scale. When a hospital falls victim to a cyberattack, neighboring facilities must absorb diverted patients, often without additional resources to handle the surge.  

This sudden influx strains emergency departments, overwhelms medical staff, and reduces the availability of critical care services, ultimately delaying treatment for all patients—whether they arrive due to the cyberattack or for unrelated emergencies.  

The overflow effect forces hospitals to operate beyond capacity, degrading the quality of care, prolonging wait times, and heightening the risk of complications or preventable deaths.

This "blast radius" effect demonstrates how a single ransomware attack can jeopardize an entire regional healthcare network. Research has already linked cyberattacks on hospitals to increased mortality rates, not just at the compromised facility but also at surrounding hospitals struggling to compensate for the disruption.  

However, more data is needed to fully quantify the extent of these secondary effects and determine the true scale of harm inflicted on patient care. Understanding the full impact of ransomware on healthcare outcomes is critical in shaping how such attacks should be addressed.  

While cyberattacks on businesses such as retailers or manufacturers are treated as criminal matters, attacks on hospitals directly threaten lives, raising the question of whether a different, more aggressive response is necessary.  

A comprehensive approach—one that includes stronger cybersecurity measures, greater system redundancies, and a reevaluation of legal and policy responses—is essential to mitigating the devastating consequences of ransomware attacks on the healthcare sector.

Halcyon.ai eliminates the business impact of ransomware. Modern enterprises rely on Halcyon to prevent ransomware attacks, eradicating cybercriminals’ ability to encrypt systems, steal data, and extort companies – talk to a Halcyon expert today to find out more and check out the Halcyon Attacks Lookout resource site. Halcyon also publishes a quarterly RaaS and extortion group reference guide, Power Rankings: Ransomware Malicious Quartile.