How Ascension's EHR restoration is progressing

Ascension is pushing to restore all electronic health records this week, and many of the affected states in its footprint are back online.

Ascension has restored access to health records in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin and part of Texas, according to the nonprofit health system's website. That leaves facilities in four states and Washington, D.C., waiting to come back online.

Related: Ascension restores some EHR systems following cyberattack

Operations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri were not interrupted, according to the website. Ascension operates 140 hospitals across 19 states and Washington, D.C. 

St. Louis-based Ascension reported a possible cybersecurity incident May 8 and urged business partners to disconnect from its systems. The incident, later confirmed as a ransomware attack, forced Ascension to cancel some elective procedures, appointments and tests. Emergency departments diverted patients to other facilities.

Last week, Ascension said it had given itself a June 14 deadline to restore all health records.

The system has not answered questions on whether patient data was compromised in the cyberattack.

In markets where patient portal access is restored, medical records from May 8 to June 6 may be unavailable while Ascension updates its system with new information. Patients should contact their doctors' offices for those records. Responses to portal messages may be delayed due to high volumes, Ascension said.