On or about October 12, 2025, Heywood Healthcare reported a cybersecurity incident (the “Data Breach”) to the public following a network outage that disrupted operations at two hospitals in North Central Massachusetts: Heywood Hospital in Gardner and Athol Hospital in Athol. The breach prompted the immediate shutdown of systems to protect patient data and hospital infrastructure. A Code Black was declared, and emergency departments were closed to ambulances, which were diverted to other facilities.
Heywood Healthcare is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit health system that operates Heywood Hospital (134 beds) and Athol Hospital (25 beds), along with Heywood Medical Group. The organization provides a range of medical services to communities in North Central Massachusetts.
Heywood has engaged a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident and assist with recovery efforts. While communications systems have been partially restored, some disruptions remain. The exact nature of the attack, whether ransomware or another form of cyber intrusion, has not been disclosed, and no group has claimed responsibility. At this stage, it is unclear whether patient data was accessed or stolen. If you receive a Data Breach notification letter from Heywood, it confirms that your information may have been compromised.
What information is involved in the Heywood Healthcare Data Breach?
Although the investigation is ongoing, potential compromised information may include:
Name
Date of Birth
Social Security Number
Driver’s License or State ID Number
Medical Records
Health Insurance Details
Contact Information
Other Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) includes details that can be used to identify you. It plays a key role in defining your identity. Organizations are legally obligated to safeguard this data, and failure to do so can result in statutory fines and other legal consequences. If PII is stolen, it may be exploited by criminals to commit identity fraud.
A specific category of PII is Protected Health Information (PHI), which pertains to personal medical data. PHI is safeguarded under both federal and state regulations. Entities such as healthcare providers and businesses that manage PHI must ensure its security. Just like PII, compromised PHI can be misused by identity thieves, and it’s common for cybercriminals to use both types of information together.
If your data has been exposed in a breach, one of the most effective steps you can take is to enroll in credit and identity monitoring services promptly.
If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from Heywood, your personal, financial, and/or medical information may be at risk. This type of data can be exploited by identity thieves to commit fraud and other crimes.