Kaiser Woodland Hills Closes Temporarily; Water Service Not Expected To Resume Until Saturday
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — With water service not expected to return until at least Saturday, Kaiser Permanente officials decided late Tuesday to temporarily close its Woodland Hills Medical Center.
The hospital at 5601 De Soto Avenue has not been able to return to normal operations since Sunday's water main break. Dozens of surgeries and appointments have been canceled, and the hospital was forced to bring in water bottles, sanitation stations and porta-potties for both patients and staff.
The initial timeline for water service to return was Thursday.
"Because the timeline for restoring water at the medical center campus is now estimated to be Saturday, January 25, we have determined that the safest decision for our members, patients, physicians and staff is to temporarily close services and facilities at this location," a statement from Kaiser said.
The hospital's urgent care and emergency department were closed Tuesday night. All patients at the hospital have been discharged or transferred to other Kaiser facilities or neighboring hospitals.
The 24-hour pharmacy, however, will remain open for prescription pickup only.
Kaiser says the hospital could reopen as early as Saturday once all required testing of the temporary water line has been completed and has been deemed safe.