Brockton's only functioning hospital not accepting ambulances. What we know
BROCKTON — Brockton's only fully-functioning Hospital — Good Samaritan Medical Center — is currently not accepting ambulances and has evacuated some patients due to a power outage caused by flooding, according to officials.
The Brockton Emergency Management Agency tweeted shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, that Good Samaritan was in "condition black" due to "emergency issues."
"We will update the public as soon as we can," BEMA wrote on Facebook.
BEMA Director Steve Hooke said in a Facebook post that the power issues at Good Samaritan are due to flooding.
The hospital had flooding in the basement that affected some of the electrical circuits, Hooke told The Enterprise.
Emergency room is accepting walk-in patients
Although the emergency room remains open to walk-in patients, all ambulances are being diverted to other hospitals, Hooke said.
A spokesperson for Steward Health Care, which owns and operates Good Samaritan, told WCVB Saturday, "Our team is working diligently to find the cause. As patient safety is always our number one priority, our patients are receiving uninterrupted care."
"Where needed our patients are being transferred to our sister hospitals for care," the spokesperson told WCVB.
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How long will ER be closed to ambulances?
Hooke wrote on Facebook: "The emergency room will remain closed until an assessment can be done on the electrical system."
According to Hooke, an automatic transfer switch to the generator was damaged. The hospital is waiting for a part to repair it, then the hospital will be back to full operations, he said.
Hospital has no phone, internet or computer services
He also said the hospital has no phone, internet or computer services.
Not all of the hospital was affected
Hooke said some Good Samaritan patients have been moved to other Steward Health Care facilities, but most remain at Good Sam and are safe since not all of the hospital is affected.
Operating room, ICU, labor and delivery patients transferred
"The operating room, ICU and labor and delivery do not have power and the decision was made to transfer those patients to other Steward Hospitals," Hooke told The Enterprise.
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Brockton's only other hospital also closed
The "condition black" at Good Sam means that Brockton is without an operational major hospital for the time being.
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital has been closed since Feb. 7, when a fire broke out in a transformer room. That fire prompted a 10-alarm response and the evacuation of dozens of patients.
Where should I go for urgent care for non-life-threatening issues?
Anyone who needs urgent assistance for a non-life-threatening issue, should call their medical provider or use one of the area's urgent care centers.
Signature Healthcare urgent care at 650 Centre Street is open 24 hours, according to BEMA's Facebook post.
Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Good Samaritan hospital power outage: not taking ambulances,
