In an official statement, Allen Stefanek, CEO & President of Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, announced that a ransom of 40 BTC – approximately $17,000 at today’s exchange rates – was paid to the hacker that infected the hospital’s IT facilities on the 5th of February.

Stefanek specifically refuted the rumor that the ransom was 9000 BTC, which was reported on several news sites, “The reports of the hospital paying 9000 Bitcoins or $3.4 million are false” he said.

The statement also made it clear that the ransomware infection did not impact the quality of health care provided at HPMC. The investigation so far has not uncovered any evidence that any sensitive patient/employee records have been stolen or accessed, “Further, we have no evidence at this time that any patient or employee information was subject to unauthorized access.” said Stefanek.

According to the release, paying the ransom was the “quickest and most efficient way” to restore HPMC’s computer systems back to normal:

“In the best interest of restoring normal operations, we did this.“

There is still little information about how the ransomware made its way into the hospital’s computers. An investigation is underway by the FBI and the LAPD to identify and apprehend the hackers.

If you liked this article follow us on twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin and altcoin price analysis and the latest cryptocurrency news.