By Malcolm Butler and Kyle Roberts
A reported cyberattack at Green Clinic in Ruston has severely disrupted operations and potentially compromised the personal and medical information of possibly tens of thousands of patients.
Multiple anonymous sources inside the Allegiance Health Management-owned facility told the Lincoln Parish Journal that the clinic was targeted Friday by a cybercriminal group identified as “Wallstreet.” By approximately 8 a.m. that morning, employees had lost access to electronic patient records, leaving the clinic struggling to perform basic functions.
According to the sources, the affected records include medical histories, insurance information, credit card information and other sensitive patient data. The sources also said the clinic has no available backups of the records, raising serious concerns about whether the information can be recovered.
Although Green Clinic has remained open, its operations have been significantly disrupted.
The Lincoln Parish Journal has not independently confirmed whether the records were stolen, deleted or rendered inaccessible. Representatives of the Lincoln Parish Journal visited the facility on two consecutive days this week and observed very little activity at the normally busy clinic.
The Lincoln Parish Journal has made repeated attempts by phone, email and in person over the past three days to contact administrators with Allegiance Health Management seeking information about the reported cyberattack, its impact on patient records and efforts to restore operations. As of Wednesday evening, the company had not responded to those inquiries.
One source said staff members cannot even contact patients to cancel appointments because they no longer have access to appointment schedules or patient contact information.
According to sources familiar with the incident, “Wallstreet” communicated electronically with Green Clinic following the attack, indicating that its actions were not politically motivated but financially motivated.
The Lincoln Parish Journal has not independently reviewed the correspondence or confirmed whether a specific ransom demand was made.
Among the unanswered questions are whether patient information was stolen, whether the clinic has a plan to restore access to its records, whether affected patients will be notified and whether law enforcement or cybersecurity specialists are investigating.
The extent to which physicians are continuing to see patients or provide medical services remains unclear.
Green Clinic is owned by Allegiance Health Management, the Bossier City-based healthcare company that also owns Northern Louisiana Medical Center in Ruston.
On Monday, Allegiance announced plans to divest four Louisiana hospitals, including NLMC, Minden Medical Center, Acadian Medical Center in Eunice and Mercy Regional Medical Center in Ville Platte. Green Clinic was not among the facilities identified in the announcement.
The reported attack comes amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding Allegiance’s healthcare operations in Lincoln Parish.
For Green Clinic patients, the immediate questions remain whether their personal and medical information is secure and when the clinic will be able to resume normal operations. The question also remains as to when Allegiance will provide this information to the public.
