Methodist Hospital temporarily closed after power outage
Officials at the 220-bed hospital said in an alert on Jefferson’s website that the hospital is transporting patients to other facilities due to “power issues.”
Jefferson Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia was temporarily closed after a power outage required patient evacuations in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Officials at the 220-bed hospital said in a statement that all its patients had been transported to nearby facilities or discharged.
“We’re thankful for the colleagues and first responders who worked tirelessly throughout the night,” hospital officials said.
They said the cause of the outage that occurred Tuesday evening was still being investigated, but “appears to be related to an external water source.” Hospital staff are working “around the clock” with regulatory agencies to reopen as soon as possible, they said.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC10 that about three feet of water flooded the hospital’s basement, causing a power outage around 6 p.m. He said backup generators had failed.
That resulted in 120 people being evacuated, Jefferson CEO Joseph Cacchione told the station Wednesday.
Jefferson spokesperson Damien Woods said a small team of staff are still onsite at Methodist to “redirect” anyone who arrived and transfer patients who need care to other facilities.
It was unclear when the hospital would be operating at full capacity.
The hospital said on its website that people looking to reunite with family members or loved ones being treated at Methodist should call its information line at 215-463-2031.
