UMass Memorial hospital in Marlboro loses heat in freezing temperatures, forcing patients to relocate
Dozens of patients being treated at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Marlboro were left without heat for several hours during freezing temperatures after the boiler system was flooded on Sunday night.
UMass Memorial Health said hospital employees discovered that a large valve had broken, flooding the basement, including the boiler system, just before 6 p.m. The heat was cut off to the entire hospital, according to Marlboro Fire Chief Jeffrey Gogan.
The hospital then went into "Code Black," prohibiting any new ambulances from arriving. However, it wasn't until 10 p.m. that a decision was made to move 70 of the 93 patients being treated at the facility to other hospitals, according to Gogan.
"It was pretty challenging. There was a lot of cooperation between agencies, and once we got everyone in place and working together, we were able to determine and prioritize which patients were going out first and where they were going," Gogan said.
The temperature between 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Marlboro was around 12 degrees, with a wind chill that made it feel like -1, according to the WBZ-TV weather team. One of the rooms in the hospital was around 50 degrees, Gogan said.
"Patients' families were notified of where and when patients would be moved," UMass Memorial Health said in a statement. "Patient safety remained a top priority throughout the transfer process."
Patients confused about transfers
Laura Walkins' 92-year-old mother, Eleanor, was on the way to the Marlboro hospital with stroke-like symptoms when she was redirected to a Worcester hospital.
"[Eleanor] is a little confused now sitting in the [Umass Memorial Medical Center] University ER and doesn't understand why she hasn't been attended to," Walkins said of her mother's experience at a different hospital. "[UMass Memorial Hospital] has always been exceptional with her as an elderly person. What would be the impact to the community if the hospital wasn't there? I think it would be huge."
Emergency department open for walk-ins
The hospital said that the valve had been "resolved" and all the water from the basement was gone on Monday. They did not say whether or not heat had been restored to the building.
Inpatient and outpatient care remained closed on Monday, except for mammography. The Marlboro Campus is open to all emergency walk-in patients, but anyone admitted will be transferred elsewhere.
"Patients may also seek care at other local emergency departments," UMass Memorial Health said.
The cause of the valve break is unclear. UMass Memorial Health thanked first responders for helping with the situation.
Marlboro, Massachusetts, is around 30 miles from Boston and 18 miles from Worcester.
