AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, Rep. Julie McCabe, D-Lewiston, introduced a measure before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee that would help prevent the effects of cybersecurity attacks on Maine hospitals and ensure continuity of patient care when future cyberattacks occur.
LD 2103 was born out of two separate cyber-incidents last spring, impacting five Maine hospitals. 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 last spring’s 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.
“In today’s world, it’s easy to become numb to the frequency of data breaches of personal information that we’ve all experienced. However, when breaches cripple basic health care services and become life threatening, we can’t afford to be complacent,” said McCabe. “We must take immediate action to ensure hospitals are prepared and patient health is protected.”
The bill would require Maine hospitals to create cybersecurity plans, assess vulnerabilities, mandate annual training for all staff and require planning for restoring the most critical networks and medical technology. Additionally, it would help hospitals improve their post-incident response plans by requiring local healthcare organizations to engage in mutual aid compacts and create plans together to facilitate care continuity.
The Health and Human Services Committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.
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