Update: Flooding Recovery at Duke University Hospital Emergency Department
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With the safety of our patients and our staff members as a top priority, Duke University Hospital continues to address cleanup and water mitigation following flooding from the burst pipe that occurred on Dec. 26.
Questions have been raised about discolored flood water. The pipe that ruptured was a chilled water line, which is used to supply heating and cooling to the building. While the water is not drinking water, it is clean water that is treated to prevent biological growth, corrosion, and scale.
As the water came down through the ceiling and walls, it picked up and carried debris. Our Occupational & Environmental Safety Office (OESO), Infection Prevention team and hospital leadership have been working together to ensure water recovery initiatives are undertaken safely and expeditiously.
Flooding primarily impacted the first floor of the hospital near the Emergency Department and adjacent areas; there were no impacts to in-patient units or surgical suites, which are located on other floors.
Currently, emergency patients who arrive by their own means to the ED are being cared for in alternate locations throughout the hospital. Some ED beds have reopened, and we hope to open additional beds, the ED triage area and waiting room this weekend.
Ambulance traffic is still on divert, but our goal is to resume service as soon as possible. We are grateful for our EMS partners and other local health care facilities who have helped ensure that our community has access to urgent medical care.
We are working diligently to restore the high quality of care our patients and the public expect from Duke University Hospital and we are making every effort to ensure there are minimal disruptions during this unprecedented event.