Computer virus forces DC healthcare giant offline: reports

A computer virus on Monday caused major online outages at MedStar Health, one of the Washington area’s largest healthcare providers, according to multiple reports.

Hospital officials told The Washington Post that no information had been stolen.

{mosads}“MedStar acted quickly with a decision to take down all system interfaces to prevent the virus from spreading throughout the organization,” said spokeswoman Ann Nickels in a statement. “We are working with our IT and cybersecurity partners to fully assess and address the situation. Currently, all of our clinical facilities remain open and functioning.”

The FBI is investigating the “the nature and scope of the matter,” the bureau said in a statement.

MedStar, a $5 billion operation, operates 10 hospitals and more than 250 outpatient facilities in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area. The organization trains and employs thousands of physicians, who handled more than 4 million outpatient visits in the last fiscal year.

The Hill has reached out to both MedStar and the FBI for comment.

— Updated at 5:25 p.m.