Virgin Islanders Grow Frustrated With Lack of Access to Medical Records Following SRMC Ransomware Attack

Patients left in limbo as hospital remains silent on the extent of data compromise; residents express frustration over lack of access to critical medical information

Almost two months after a ransomware group held its data hostage, the Schneider Regional Medical Center seems to be struggling to provide patients with access to their own medical records.‌ On July 21, officials of the Schneider Regional Medical Center confirmed that the healthcare facility had been the victim of a ransomware attack. “We regret to inform our patients that access to the patient portal is currently unavailable, and copies of your medical records will not be available until the system is restored,” a press release about the attack stated. “We are committed to remediating the situation as quickly as possible,” the statement continued. “At this time, we cannot confirm the extent of any compromised patient health or financial information.”

On August 12, Consortium journalists sought an update from SRMC officials, and were directed to the original announcement of July 22 and an update dated August 7. In a letter addressed to Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion, Schneider Regional CEO Tina Comissiong said that the hospital network had been “rebuilt using best practices” and that their Electronic Health Records (EHR) system had been reviewed and was being tested starting the next day, August 8. Once the initial testing was complete, the letter indicated that the “Admitting and HR departments will be given access, followed by a systematic rollout to other departments.”