611/69 Friday, November 6, 2026
University of New Mexico Health System (UNM Health), a major healthcare provider in the U.S. state of New Mexico, disclosed a cybersecurity incident on October 26, 2026, that disrupted multiple medical services. The organization was forced to divert ambulances to other hospitals, temporarily suspend new patient admissions, cancel appointments at more than 30 clinics, and postpone outpatient surgeries during the incident. UNM Health operates the only Level I Trauma Center in New Mexico, which plays a critical role in treating patients with severe and complex injuries, making the disruption particularly significant for emergency medical services and increasing pressure on nearby hospitals.
UNM Health stated that its IT Security team detected the threat at approximately 11:00 a.m. and immediately began containment measures. New patient admissions were temporarily suspended between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to allow staff to investigate and secure the network safely. The organization also activated its Emergency Operations Center, engaged external cybersecurity specialists, and notified state and federal law enforcement agencies. In addition, classes at the Health Sciences Center were canceled, and non-essential personnel were instructed to temporarily stop working. Other healthcare providers, including Presbyterian Healthcare Services and Lovelace Health System, coordinated efforts to receive patients affected by the service disruption at UNM Health.
After containment measures were implemented, UNM Health began gradually restoring systems on the afternoon of October 26 and confirmed the following day that hospital operations, emergency patient transport, and clinic services had returned to normal. Preliminary findings indicated that the incident affected some end-user devices, but there was no evidence that attackers gained access to the organization’s core systems or critical servers. The incident remains under criminal investigation. Although claims have been made that patient, student, and employee data was stolen, UNM Health has not confirmed that a data breach occurred. The organization advised affected individuals to remain alert for phishing emails, messages, or scams that may exploit the incident by impersonating healthcare staff or official organizations.