Windsor Regional Hospital is working to reduce a diagnostic imaging backlog in the wake of a cyber attack.
The cyber attack on Oct. 23, 2023 impacted five hospitals across Southwestern Ontario, including Windsor Regional Hospital, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor, and Erie Shores HealthCare in Leamington.
The system used to electronically store images and reports from diagnostic imaging, such as CTs and MRIs, was impacted as a result of the attack.
Priority 1, or Emergent, and Priority 2, or Urgent, exams were running the entire time.
As of April 3, MRIs for Priority 2 and Priority 3, or Semi-Urgent exams, are back to a normal wait time.
The hospital is now focused on reducing the backlog of Priority 4 cases.
The wait time for P4 or lower priority cases prior to the cyberattack was approximately 11 months, but now it is approximately 15 months.
Windsor Regional Hospital President and CEO, David Musyj, says they are working together to address the longest P4 wait time first.
Musyj says they now have three MRIs in operation.
"Erie Shores will be coming online within the next couple of months with respect to an MRI," he says " We're going to be focused, jointly, on getting those P4s done regionally and getting that wait time down regionally."
Musyj says they will have double the capacity for MRIs in the next couple of months, and while they're not out of the woods yet, the team is making great progress.
"Needless to say those that have a priority for an MRI are getting it done within the regular time period," he says.
A band of cyber-criminals called ‘Daixin Team’ claimed to be the group responsible for the cyber attack, but a ransom was not paid.