KPBS Midday Edition

County COVID Cases Down. Some Scripps Health Services Still Offline

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Pat Finn / Producer

Published May 24, 2021 at 12:28 PM PDT

This story was published more than 2 years ago.

A "Scripps Clinic" sign in Rancho Bernardo, May 3, 2021.

County COVID cases down. Ditto For Some Scripps Health Services

The new week begins with good and not-so-good healthcare news. COVID cases and deaths are down county-wide. But so are some services of Scripps Health, as it enters the fourth week of a debilitating cyberattack.

This Sunday, of the 6,686 COVID-19 tests reported to San Diego County's Health and Human Services, 1% returned positive, just 76 new cases.

In contrast, the county reported more than 5,000 new cases in January, just five months ago.

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In the meantime, Scripps Health, one of San Diego County's largest healthcare providers, is about to enter the fourth week of a cyberattack which froze all its digital services.

Patients of Scripps Health wishing to schedule a COVID-19 test, vaccination or any other services, remain locked out of MyScripps, the web portal through which patients schedule visits, communicate with doctors and learn test results. Scripps Health's main website, however, is back up this week.

The San Diego Union-Tribune has confirmed the intrusion was a ransomware attack. As yet it is unknown whether Scripps has paid a ransom.

Paul Sisson, who covers healthcare for The San Diego Union-Tribune, joined KPBS Midday Edition to discuss how COVID-19 is trending in the county and how Scripps Health is dealing with the on-going attack.

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Pat Finn

Pat Finn previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and KPBS Evening Edition. Finn began her career in broadcasting at KTLA and KCET in Los Angeles. In 1979 she became KPBS’ Public Information Director, then Director of Advertising and Promotion, Program Director, and Director of Broadcasting. She oversaw the station’s local and national productions, including the one-hour documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and Child Protective Services, a one-hour look inside the San Diego County agency responsible for the welfare of at risk children. Both programs also aired on public television stations nationwide. Finn has earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

See stories by Pat Finn