UNM Health Cyberattack Forces Ambulance Diversions and Closures at More Than 30 Clinics

A cybersecurity incident disrupted the University of New Mexico Health System on October 26, forcing ambulance diversions and appointment cancellations at more than 30 clinics statewide. The disruption affected New Mexico’s only Level I trauma center, temporarily leaving the state without an emergency department capable of treating the most serious injuries. The broader UNM Health Sciences Center also canceled classes and dismissed students and nonessential employees. Hospitals and clinics began resuming operations in phases later that day, although full restoration timing remained unclear.

The FBI was assisting an active law enforcement investigation. Employees reported hearing messages through their computers claiming that student, employee, and patient information had been stolen. Separately, a BYOD claim indexed by ransomware.live alleged the compromise of 36,000 machines and sensitive university and hospital information. UNM had not confirmed those claims, attributed the attack to BYOD, or publicly confirmed encryption or unauthorized access to patient information. The incident demonstrates how disruption of a single specialist healthcare provider can affect emergency-care capacity across an entire state.