Patients of Palomar Health Medical Group are expressing frustration and concern as the organization continues to grapple with cybersecurity issues that have left its systems offline for five weeks.
Brigitte Carlson, one such patient, recounted her recent experience at a women’s clinic in Escondido where she was turned away from her doctor’s appointment. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of patient care and sent a letter to the medical group’s chief legal officer urging them to prioritize patient needs amidst the cybersecurity challenges.
“I think a lot of women are working, and they have kids, and they don’t have time to be driving back and forth to get an appointment and then to have it canceled,” Carlson emphasized.
Similarly, Thomas Weir shared the difficulties he and his wife faced in accessing medical care, having to travel long distances due to the unavailability of their local clinic. Additionally, they encountered obstacles when trying to retrieve their medical records due to the digital nature of the records system.
In response to inquiries from NBC 7, Palomar Health Medical Group provided limited updates, stating that third-party specialists were addressing the cybersecurity issues. However, patients like Carlson expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the medical group.
The medical group did send a letter to a patient on May 21, 2024, assuring continued provision of essential services such as lab results, radiology reports, referrals, and secure patient messaging via fax. However, access to medical records remains limited, with doctors relying on temporary programs.
It’s important to note that while Palomar Health Medical Group is impacted by the cybersecurity incident, Palomar Health District remains unaffected.
As patients continue to navigate the challenges posed by the ongoing cybersecurity issues, concerns persist regarding the timeliness and effectiveness of communication from the medical group.
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