Another Health Care Organization Joins the Growing List of Targets in Latest Ransomware Surge

Kidney care provider DaVita has been targeted in a ransomware attack that encrypted portions of its network and prompted an immediate response from the organization, the company disclosed in a securities filing earlier this week.

The attack, which was discovered on April 12, 2025, led DaVita to activate its incident response protocols and isolate affected systems. While the company has not detailed the operational impact or estimated the duration of the disruption, it confirmed that patient care is continuing through the use of backup systems and manual processes.

“We have activated backup systems and manual processes to ensure there’s no disruption to patient care,” a DaVita spokesperson said in a statement. “Our teams, along with external cybersecurity experts, are actively investigating this matter and working to restore systems as quickly as possible.”

DaVita operates more than 2600 outpatient dialysis centers across the US, making it a critical access point for patients with kidney disease. The full scope and long-term effects of the incident remain under investigation.

The attack on DaVita follows a series of high-profile ransomware incidents across the health care industry. In early 2024, Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, suffered the largest health care data breach on record, affecting approximately 190 million individuals. Similarly, Ascension, a large nonprofit health system, reported a spring 2024 ransomware attack that compromised the information of 5.5 million people and significantly impacted its financial performance.

Cyberattacks of this scale can disrupt clinical operations by severing access to electronic health records, delaying care, and straining emergency resources. As cyber threats continue to escalate, health care organizations are under mounting pressure to strengthen digital infrastructure and enhance incident response capabilities.

Reference

DaVita hit by ransomware attack. Healthcare Dive. Published April 15, 2025. Accessed April 16, 2025. https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/ihe/news/health-systems-embrace-googles-new-ai-agents-tackle-administrative-burdens