ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A cybersecurity incident temporarily disrupted operations across the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center on Monday, leading to ambulance diversions, canceled appointments, clinic closures, and canceled classes for some students.
According to university officials, the incident affected the entire Health Sciences Center, which includes UNM Hospital, academic programs, research facilities, and affiliated healthcare operations. As a precaution, all ambulance traffic was temporarily redirected to other hospitals, including facilities operated by Presbyterian and Lovelace, while appointments and outpatient procedures at more than 30 clinics were canceled.
Hospital officials activated an Emergency Operations Center and worked with cybersecurity teams, law enforcement agencies, and outside partners to contain the incident and assess its scope.
UNM Health officials said hospital operations began returning to normal Monday afternoon, with systems gradually being restored beginning around 2:30 p.m. Hospitals reopened and clinics resumed normal operations Tuesday.
However, classes remained canceled Tuesday for students in the School of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Population Health as recovery efforts continued. UNM’s main campus and branch campuses were not affected by the disruption.
University spokesperson Steve Carr said the cybersecurity threat was limited to the Health Sciences Center and did not affect the broader university system.
During the incident, reports emerged that employees saw a message on computer screens claiming the organization had been compromised and that employee and student data had been obtained. KOB reported that an image featuring a red skull replaced some employee screens and that an automated message demanded contact from university officials.
University officials have not confirmed the authenticity of those claims and have not publicly stated whether any personal information was accessed. Because the incident remains under investigation, officials say they are limited in what details they can release.
In a public statement, UNM Health said information technology and security teams immediately took steps to protect the network and notified state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Officials say they will continue evaluating the impact of the incident and working with patients whose appointments or procedures were postponed. The university has not released information on the cause of the attack or whether sensitive information may have been compromised.
