An IT security event forced facilities affiliated with Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health to shut down their electronic health records. One such hospital was MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center in Iowa, according to an article in the Des Moines Register.

A spokesperson for CommonSpirit Health told Becker’s in an emailed statement, “CommonSpirit Health is managing an IT security incident which is impacting some of our facilities. As a precautionary step we have taken certain IT systems offline, which in some of our divisions includes electronic health record systems and other systems. 

“Our facilities are following existing protocols for system outages and taking steps to minimize the disruption. We take our responsibility to ensure the privacy of our patients and IT security very seriously. As a result of this incident, we have rescheduled some patient appointments in some of our communities. Patients will be contacted directly by their provider and/or care facility if their appointment is impacted.”

CommonSpirit operates 140 hospitals and more than 1,500 other healthcare sites across 21 states.

Read the full article on Becker’s Hospital Review.