Ransomware Attack Closes Clinics Across Mississippi, Cancels Surgeries

Last updated: 2026/02/22 at 2:10 PM

News Room Published 22 February 2026

A ransomware attack forced healthcare providers across the state of Mississippi to pause operations earlier this week. According to reports by NPR, the cyberattack forced the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to close all of its 35 clinics across the state and cancel elective procedures that had been planned for Thursday and Friday of this week.

In an official announcement, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs, said that the center’s electronic health record and phone systems “are not operational.”

Woodward said the center took down its systems for testing “to be sure they are safe to use” as a cautionary measure. For inpatient operations, the center transitioned to using pen and paper for documentation and patient orders.

“To use a medical phrase—we have stopped the bleeding,” said Woodward. “And while we know much more now than we did 24 hours ago, the extent and scope of the intrusion are still not fully understood.”

The center is currently rescheduling appointments, though it said it can’t reach out via text, email, or calls to all the patients who have had care interrupted. The vice chancellor didn’t give an exact date or time for when she foresees the hospital’s operations resuming as normal. Woodward confirmed that the center is currently working with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies in investigating this case.

Recommended by Our Editors

Ransomware is becoming an increasingly inescapable threat to US hospitals. According to research from BlackFog, healthcare was the sector most targeted by ransomware groups during 2025, accounting for 22% of all disclosed attacks. These types of cyberattacks on the healthcare industry are continuing to have real-world consequences and impacts, both in the US and further afield.

In June 2024, a ransomware attack at a UK hospital allegedly contributed to the death of a patient after disruptions at blood testing provider Synnovis forced it to cancel or delay more than 1,000 patient appointments and procedures.