Worldwide tech issue hit Boston’s hospitals and transportation

Boston area hospitals, the MBTA and operations at Logan Airport are being affected by a worldwide tech outage caused by software distributed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

The outage is affecting Microsoft users, who have reported being kicked offline due to a software error, according to NPR. Microsoft hosts cloud services for many businesses and governments.

Mass General Brigham hospital network canceled all previously scheduled non-urgent surgeries, procedures and medical visits, according to a statement. The hospital system is still accepting emergency health visits and continues to care for patients currently in their hospitals.

Tufts Medical Center posted on social media that they have also been affected by the outage but will be open and take scheduled appointments. The medical center told patients to expect delays. Beth Israel Lahey Health similarly said they are impacted by the outage but remain open and taking scheduled appointments.

The Michael Sroczynski, executive vice president of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, said his organization is working with the state Department of Public Health and the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals to access and address effects of the technology outage.

“While the impacts vary widely among providers, hospitals will continue to update patients with anything they need to know in terms of appointments and care services,” Sroczynski said in a statement. “As always, people should never hesitate to seek emergency care if they are in need.”

The Massachusetts Department of Correction also faced issues on its health care-related computer systems at Bridgewater State Hospital and the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center at Plymouth, according to the governor’s office. The office said the outage has not affected their ability to provide services.

The tech glitch, which caused global outages beginning late Thursday, also affected airline communications, causing the Federal Aviation Administration to ground major U.S. airline carriers, including American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines.

Ben Crawley, a spokesperson for Massport, which operates Logan, advised travelers check their flight status before heading to the airport, especially if they’re flying with an affected carrier.

While the MBTA said train and bus operations are not affected, the agency posted on social media that commuter rail arrivals and signs may be incorrect due to the outage. Real-time MBTA tracking of buses was temporarily impacted Friday morning, the agency said, but was restored just before 10 a.m.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced on social media that all appointments, including those at the RMV, AAA and vehicle inspections, are canceled through 12 p.m. as a result of the global outage.

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said they are are monitoring the outage but are not seeing any issues.

This article was originally published on July 19, 2024.