Information technology security teams are continuing their work to resolve a cybersecurity event at UNM Health Sciences Center that forced emergency operational changes across the university’s clinical network earlier this week. The incident, which unfolded on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, prompted a temporary halt to new patient admissions, the diversion of ambulance traffic, and the cancellation of classes and outpatient surgeries as campus leadership scrambled to secure digital infrastructure.
By Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, conditions began returning to a semblance of normal operations. All UNM Health hospitals—including UNM Hospital and the Sandoval Regional Medical Center (SRMC)—remained open, with clinics scheduled to resume their regularly scheduled appointments and procedures. However, the academic side of the health system faced lingering disruptions, as classes at the UNM School of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Population Health remained canceled.
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The disturbance began on Monday afternoon, forcing UNM Health officials to activate an Emergency Operations Center. Between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. that day, the health system temporarily stopped accepting new patients and directed incoming emergency ambulance traffic to other area hospitals. Officials later expressed gratitude to partner health systems in Albuquerque and Santa Fe that stepped in to handle patient overflow and ensure continuous care during the network outage.
Response and Phased Recovery Efforts at UNM Health
As IT security personnel took immediate steps to contain the threat and safeguard the network, leadership notified state and federal law enforcement agencies and brought in external investigators. By 2:30 p.m. on Monday, teams began bringing critical systems back online in phases as safety verifications were completed.
While clinical facilities prepared to resume standard care on Tuesday, administrative and instructional impacts remained pronounced. Nonessential employees at the UNM Health Sciences Center were instructed to stay home, while essential personnel, clinical staff, and students with active clinical responsibilities were directed to report to their usual duty stations. Meanwhile, classes across UNM’s separate Central and branch campuses operated unaffected by the health sciences disruption.
Because the incident remains the subject of an active law enforcement investigation, university officials have stated they are limited in what details they can publicly share regarding the nature of the attack or potential perpetrators. Patients with missed outpatient procedures and appointments are being contacted directly by staff to reschedule their care as systems fully stabilize.
