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Boston Medical Center emergency room reopens after burst pipe forces closure

Boston Medical Center emergency room reopens after burst pipe forces closure
AFTER YESTERDAY’S RECORD COLD TEMPERATURES. KAREN: BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER IS CLOSED UNTIL TUESDAY AFTER A PIPE BURST LAST NIGHT. EMCS IS PATIENTS IN AFFECTED AREAS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO OTHER AREAS OF THE HOSPITAL. AMBULANCES ARE BEING DIVERTED TO OTHER HOSPITALS. THE HOSPITAL SAYS INPATIENT FLOORS ARE NOT IMPACTED AND OUT PATIENT WILL OPEN TOMORROW. PATIENT VISITS ARE LIMITED AFTER A WATER PIPE FIRST THERE YESTERDAY. OFFICIALS SAY THE PIPE HAS BEEN FIXED BUT THEY ARE ASKING VISITORS TO CONTACT THE WORKERS. TODD: AND A SPOKESPERSON AT >> -- BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL SAYS OPERATIONS ARE BACK TO NORMAL AFTER A WEATHER-RELATED ISSUE WITH THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM. MULTIPLE AREAS OF THE HOSPITAL FLOODED. INCLUDING PA
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Boston Medical Center emergency room reopens after burst pipe forces closure
The emergency room at Boston Medical Center reopened on Monday after a pipe froze and burst Saturday night following record-breaking cold in the city."Boston Medical Center’s Emergency Department is no longer on ambulance diversion as of 7 a.m. Monday morning following a rapid, around the clock cleanup from a burst pipe and flooding on Saturday night," the medical center said in a statement. BMC said patients in affected areas of the Emergency Department were safely moved to other areas of the hospital.During the closure, ambulances were diverted to other Boston area hospitals.The hospital said the flooding did not impact its inpatient floors, and its outpatient clinics had normal operations Monday morning.Meanwhile, spokespeople for Brigham and Women's Hospital said various areas of the hospital, including part of the emergency room, experienced flooding due to a weather-related issue with its sprinkler system.On Sunday, a spokesperson for St. Elizabeth's Medical Center confirmed that water pipes ruptured at the hospital Saturday afternoon due to the extreme cold weather conditions.A Code Black was active at St. Elizabeth's from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday while the hospital's team assessed the situation, according to the spokesperson.The issue has St. Elizabeth's has since been resolved, but visitors are asked to contact the hospital before they arrive because visitation is limited in some areas due to ongoing maintenance work.The National Weather Service said Boston reached -8 degrees Fahrenheit late Friday night, besting the previous Feb. 3 record of -5 degrees that was set in 1881. The temperature in the city then dipped to -10 degrees early Saturday morning, smashing the previous Feb. 4 record of -2 that was set in 1886.In addition, wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph led to wind chills between -30 and -40 degrees in Massachusetts. The NWS reports that a wind chill of -35 degrees was recorded at Logan Airport at 1:54 a.m. on Saturday.

The emergency room at Boston Medical Center reopened on Monday after a pipe froze and burst Saturday night following record-breaking cold in the city.

"Boston Medical Center’s Emergency Department is no longer on ambulance diversion as of 7 a.m. Monday morning following a rapid, around the clock cleanup from a burst pipe and flooding on Saturday night," the medical center said in a statement.

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BMC said patients in affected areas of the Emergency Department were safely moved to other areas of the hospital.

During the closure, ambulances were diverted to other Boston area hospitals.

Water trickles down a window at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, after a weather-related sprinkler issue caused flooding in parts of the hospital on Feb. 4, 2023.
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Water trickles down a window at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, after a weather-related sprinkler issue caused flooding in parts of the hospital on Feb. 4, 2023.

The hospital said the flooding did not impact its inpatient floors, and its outpatient clinics had normal operations Monday morning.

Meanwhile, spokespeople for Brigham and Women's Hospital said various areas of the hospital, including part of the emergency room, experienced flooding due to a weather-related issue with its sprinkler system.

On Sunday, a spokesperson for St. Elizabeth's Medical Center confirmed that water pipes ruptured at the hospital Saturday afternoon due to the extreme cold weather conditions.

A Code Black was active at St. Elizabeth's from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday while the hospital's team assessed the situation, according to the spokesperson.

The issue has St. Elizabeth's has since been resolved, but visitors are asked to contact the hospital before they arrive because visitation is limited in some areas due to ongoing maintenance work.

The National Weather Service said Boston reached -8 degrees Fahrenheit late Friday night, besting the previous Feb. 3 record of -5 degrees that was set in 1881. The temperature in the city then dipped to -10 degrees early Saturday morning, smashing the previous Feb. 4 record of -2 that was set in 1886.

In addition, wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph led to wind chills between -30 and -40 degrees in Massachusetts. The NWS reports that a wind chill of -35 degrees was recorded at Logan Airport at 1:54 a.m. on Saturday.