Ransomware attack shuts down University of Mississippi Medical Center network, forces statewide clinic closures

A ransomware attack struck the University of Mississippi Medical Center early Thursday morning, crippling its information technology network, shutting down electronic medical records and forcing the temporary closure of clinics and cancellation of appointments and surgeries across Mississippi.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center, the state’s only academic medical center and a major public health care provider, activated its emergency operations plan after the attack disrupted numerous systems, including its Epic electronic medical records platform. Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and School of Medicine Dean LouAnn Woodward confirmed the breach during a press briefing, stating that the incident affected all medical center locations.

Woodward said the cyberattack impacted the IT network and many core systems, prompting leadership to suspend clinical operations at dozens of clinics statewide until further notice. An update issued shortly before press time confirmed that all clinics would remain closed Friday and all elective surgeries scheduled for that day had been canceled. The dialysis clinic at the Jackson Medical Mall remains open for scheduled appointments.

Emergency services continue to operate under downtime protocols. Hospitalized patients and those in the emergency department are receiving care, and clinical equipment remains functional. In-person classes for students are continuing as scheduled.

An FBI agent attended the briefing. Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff said federal authorities are deploying resources locally and nationally to support the medical center and its vendors. He declined to provide details about the specific ransomware variant or the origin of the attack, citing the early stage of the investigation.

The ransomware incident also disrupted Mississippi MED-COM, the statewide coordinating network that manages hospital transfers. Woodward said redundancies are in place to continue routing patients without interruption.

Ransomware attacks involve malicious software that encrypts data and systems, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid, often in cryptocurrency. These attacks frequently target large institutions, including hospitals, and can demand payments reaching into the millions of dollars.

The impact on patients has been immediate. Social media posts show residents across the state facing canceled appointments, including significant procedures such as chemotherapy. Many patients have been unable to reach their providers. Hospital leadership said a dedicated phone line is being established to provide additional information, though it was not operational by press time.

At Sanderson Tower at the Mississippi Children’s Hospital, parents who arrived for scheduled appointments Thursday morning were instructed to leave after staff determined visits could not proceed without access to medical records systems.

Hospital leadership described the cancellations as necessary to stabilize operations and prioritize urgent and emergency cases while technical teams assess the scope of the disruption.

The full extent of the breach remains under investigation. Woodward said it is not yet known whether protected health information was compromised. Systems were taken offline as a precaution while efforts continue to mitigate identified risks.