Funds Established for Wildfire-Impacted Facilities, Workers Across State
Tamara Ferguson and other nurses worked with firefighters to clear brush and evacuate patients at Butte County’s Adventist Health Feather River Hospital on Nov. 8. Photo: Tamara Ferguson / Facebook
Devastating wildfires hit hospitals and workers in both Northern and Southern California this past week. Los Angeles and Ventura county facilities did not experience severe damage – but two endured evacuation due to heavy smoke.
At Butte County’s Adventist Health Feather River Hospital, staff joined law enforcement and fire personnel to evacuate the entire facility before the Camp Fire partially burned it on Nov. 8.
In Southern California, heavy smoke smothered hospitals adjacent to the Woolsey Fire. San Fernando Valley’s West Hills Hospital and Medical Center evacuated its NICU, ICU and the burn unit on Nov. 10 when smoke overwhelmed the air-filtration system. At least three critically-ill patients, four infants and eight burn unit patients were relocated.
Sixteen miles away in Westlake Village, Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center evacuated 36 patients from its East Campus on Nov. 9 — also due to smoke entering the building.
By Nov. 11, West Hills had reopened after replacing existing HVAC filters with activated charcoal filters. Los Robles and West Hills are both operated by HCA Hospital Corporation of America.
Multiple facilities are employing charcoal filters, air purifiers and air scrubbers (including supplemental units) during the ongoing fires.
HCA is gathering donations for impacted workers via its HCA Hope Fund. Please click here to add your support.
Adventist Health is collecting support for its affected workers here.
CHA and HASC remained in contact with OSHPD officials and facility managers throughout the recent wildfires, pledging assistance through the recovery and rebuilding process.
Contact:
Jennifer Bayer
(213) 538-0730
jbayer@hasc.org