Oxnard hospital may shut down over mold

[Guest guest]

Oxnard hospital may shut down over mold

Ventura County Star - Ventura county,CA,

By Tom Kisken

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/may/07/no-headline---

nxxfcmold08/

St. 's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard may close for 10 days

as soon as August 14 to fight an ongoing mold problem, according to

a notification sent to the California Department of Health Services.

The notice, sent earlier this month, says the hospital is

considering tenting its facility to eliminate the mold in a process

that would halt all patient services at the Rose Avenue campus.

Operations would begin to phase down before the close date. An

emergency room that treated about 45,000 people last year would shut

down as soon as Aug. 8.

The hospital's off-site therapy services would not be impacted.

A final decision has not yet been made on whether or not to close

temporarily, according to the notice. That decision is expected on

May 15.

The 265-bed hospital is arguably the busiest in Ventura County,

caring for and discharging for more than 17,000 patients last year.

It has battled a mold problem since the Rose Avenue campus opened in

1992.

Workers are currently battling the mold by closing down a group of

patient rooms, taking down wallboard and removing any contaminants.

" That process has been time-consuming and would likely continue to

disrupt hospital operations for years to come, " Murray said in his

letter to the state, suggesting tenting the hospital would allow the

mold problem to be addressed once and for all.

If the hospital closes temporarily, Murray has said, staff will work

closely with other hospitals to make sure patients get the care they

need.