What happened
PrimaryPlus, a nonprofit health care organization serving northeastern Kentucky and southern Ohio, experienced an IT security incident Dec. 3, 2024. In a statement reproduced by The Daily Independent, the provider described potential unauthorized access to part of its technology environment and said it was working with outside forensic and incident-response specialists.
Patient services and workarounds
PrimaryPlus reported a system-wide phone and internet outage Dec. 3. Most scheduled visits continued, with slower workflows. Pharmacies remained open, and patients were asked to bring medication bottles or boxes to help staff assist them.
The provider disabled online scheduling at offices that used it because staff had limited access to computer information. Patients could visit in person to arrange appointments.
Partial restoration
A Dec. 10 update reproduced in the Flemingsburg Gazette said phone, computer and pharmacy functions had returned at almost all sites. Robertson’s phones and the Maysville dental office’s computers remained unavailable, while those offices continued seeing patients.
The update anticipated further restoration later that day. It did not establish that every affected service had returned, and the reviewed sources do not provide an exact final restoration date.
Investigation and uncertainty
PrimaryPlus said it was adding monitoring, threat detection and other safeguards. Its early statement said it knew of no misuse of personal or confidential information and would notify individuals if the investigation found exposure. That statement did not establish whether information had been accessed or copied.
Comparitech reported that Qilin claimed responsibility. The reviewed provider statements do not confirm that attribution, ransomware encryption or a ransom demand or payment. A final affected-person count and the exact intrusion method remain unverified.
