Mt. Baker Imaging and Northwest Radiologists are “working around the clock” to minimize disruptions to patient care due to an ongoing “computer network disruption” that started over the weekend, the company said Tuesday.
The independent, outpatient diagnostic imaging facility with six locations in Whatcom County confirmed that it is working with the FBI after identifying the problem on Saturday, Jan. 25.
“Upon discovery, we immediately began working with our IT staff and third-party forensic specialists to investigate the nature and scope of the incident and notified federal law enforcement,” according to a post on the company’s website.
“The investigation into the nature and scope of this event is ongoing,” Northwest Radiologists President Stephen Buetow told Cascadia Daily News on Jan. 28 when asked if it was a cyberattack.
He added that the investigation is also looking into “what, if any, information was impacted.”
The FBI, which is the lead federal agency for cyberattack cases, said that it could neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.
Dr. Buetow said patient care was continuing in a “secure environment” and the company is rescheduling with patients when necessary.
The company, which works with PeaceHealth, provides a variety of services, including ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, X-rays and 3D mammograms. Northwest Radiologists physicians interpret the images.
CDN reached out to Amy Drury, a spokesperson for PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, asking how the disruption has impacted the hospital and its patients, as well as a clarification on the relationship between the organizations in Whatcom County’s tightly knit medical community.
Drury responded to CDN: “We are aware that Mount Baker Imaging and Northwest Radiology are currently experiencing computer network disruptions that are impacting PeaceHealth ambulatory facilities.”
She said as a result, imaging from Mount Baker Imaging is only available at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, United General Medical Center, Sedro-Woolley; and Peace Island Medical Center, Friday Harbor.
“Patients requiring images from PeaceHealth ambulatory clinics will be directed by their clinician as needed,” she added.
The disruption also impacted some phone service.
Bellingham Advanced Medical Imaging, operated by Skagit Radiology, continues to provide uninterrupted services to the community.
This article was updated at 7:28 p.m. on Jan. 28, 2025 to accurately reflect the current status of regional PeaceHealth locations reliant on Mt Baker Imaging. Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.
This story was updated at 9:47 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2025 to include additional information on where community members can access medical imaging services in Bellingham.
Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s enterprise/investigations reporter; reach him at isaacsimonelli@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.
