NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull to Temporarily Evacuate, Transfer All Patients Because of Power Outage, Electrical Damage Caused by Flood
Sep 30, 2023
New York, NY
After a neighborhood power failure yesterday caused by the extreme rainfall, NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull today announced that the hospital will execute a phased and orderly evacuation of all patients and staff today. Yesterday, the hospital had to switch into back-up emergency power around midday to ensure patient and staff safety. The power company, Con Edison, informed hospital officials that in order to make the necessary repairs, they will have to temporarily shut down the back-up power to the entire facility. Once the building is vacated and secured, ConEdison and the NYC Health + Hospitals facilities team will first assess the damage to the electrical system and begin repairs to the voltage feeder line that caused the outage. It is estimated that the repairs could take a minimum of several days before the hospital can resume operations.
“We are prepared to activate a full evacuation plan and transfer all patients to other hospitals or post-acute facility in our health system,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull CEO Gregory J. Calliste. “We are confident that our expert team of emergency managers, patient care professionals, and city government partners will be able to safely transfer and protect our patients. And we’re grateful to our partners at Con Edison for completing these repairs as swiftly as possible.”
Approximately 120 patients will be transferred to other NYC Health + Hospitals facilities. Patients will be transferred by ambulances, ambulettes, FDNY transport vehicles and New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) transport vehicles. Out of an abundance of caution, critical patients were transferred yesterday. It will take eight hours to transfer all patients.
Hospital officials are notifying families about the transfers and provided contact information about the receiving facility. Nurses and other hospital staff will travel with the patients to the new facility to ensure continuity of care. There is a dedicated number for patient’s families to reach the hospital.
Additionally, hospital officials have notified nearby hospitals of the evacuation and closure, to manage any increase in patient volume. The hospital will be closed and on diversion for all ambulances. In an emergency, New Yorkers should call 911 and ambulatory patients should seek out nearby hospitals.
NYC Health + Hospitals is working with NYCEM, FDNY, NYPD, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, its state partners, and state and federal regulatory and elected officials to facilitate the transfer.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.