AUGUSTA – On Thursday, the Maine House voted unanimously to advance a bill from Rep. Julie McCabe, D-Lewiston, that would help prevent cybersecurity attacks on Maine hospitals and ensure continuity of patient care when future cyberattacks occur.
As amended, LD 2103 would require Maine hospitals to adopt a cybersecurity plan consistent with best practices established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other national organizations. The plan must include provisions for hospitals to ensure the timely notification of law enforcement and state regulators if an attack occurs, establish backup communications systems and implement annual training for employees.
“Cyberattacks pose a serious risk to our already-fragile health care system,” said McCabe. “We’ve already seen how a cyberattack can impact Maine hospitals and leave patients in dire straits. This legislation will help ensure that our hospitals are prepared to deal with these types of incidents, respond promptly and effectively to patient needs, and protect sensitive information.”
The billwas born out of two separate cyber-incidents last spring, impacting five hospitals across Maine. The cyberattacks crippled basic communication services, exposed serious and wide-ranging breakdowns in hospitals’ protocols and threatened patient care for weeks — including both preventative care and care for cancer patients.
The five Maine hospitals impacted by these cyberattacks were Covenant Health’s St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor and Central Maine Medical Center’s hospitals in Lewiston, Bridgton and Rumford. More than 400,000 people, almost one-third of the state’s residents, were put at risk.
The bill faces further votes in the House and Senate in the coming days.
Rep. McCabe is serving her first term in the Maine House and represents House District 93, which includes part of Lewiston. She serves on the Health and Human Services Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee (McCabe) | 305-965-2744