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Incident

Universal Health Services enterprise-wide IT shutdown

A security incident led UHS to suspend user access to IT applications across its US operations; facilities ran on offline documentation for up to several weeks.

Sources checked when written 26 September 2026

TierUser access to IT applications was suspended for weeks and facilities used offline documentation. How tiers are assigned.

What happened

Early on 27 September 2020 UHS experienced an IT security incident and suspended user access to its IT applications for US operations. Facilities used established back-up processes, including offline documentation. Applications were restored on a rolling basis during October 2020. UHS's 10-K reports that ambulance traffic and elective procedures were diverted to competitors, that coding and billing were delayed into December, and that the incident had an estimated $67 million pre-tax impact in 2020. The company states care was delivered safely and found no evidence of patient data being accessed.[1,2]

Documented harm

None documented; company states care continued safely. No independent harm review found.

What it teaches

Sources

  1. Universal Health Services Form 8-K (information technology security incident). Universal Health Services, Inc. / SEC EDGAR, 29 September 2020. Primary Official report · link checked 2026-09-26
  2. Universal Health Services Form 10-K for fiscal year 2020. Universal Health Services, Inc. / SEC EDGAR, 2021. Primary Official report · link checked 2026-09-26

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