Los Angeles-based Adventist Health White Memorial has been cleared of all deficiencies listed in a state report regarding the power outage that required the evacuation of more than 200 patients last August, the Los Angeles Times reported March 21.
The hospital lost power Aug. 21 during Tropical Storm Hilary. The facility was forced to evacuate hundreds of patients — including infants and critical care patients — after the connection to backup power for its specialty care tower stopped working. White Memorial safely transferred all patients back to the facility Aug. 22 after power was restored and an additional backup generator was installed.
"Thankfully, due to the heroic efforts of our caregivers, we were able to keep all our patients and staff safe and rebound successfully," a spokesperson for the hospital told Becker's March 25.
The California Department of Public Health alleged that hospital staff failed to maintain proper humidity levels in an indoor tunnel where a steam pipe was leaking, which may have caused electrical equipment connecting to the generator to malfunction.
White Memorial said it immediately began repairs after the outage and installed a humidity monitoring device in the tunnel, which technicians now monitor daily, although there are no regulatory requirements for humidity levels in utility tunnels.
"Since the power outage, we have worked with the city and regulatory agencies to confirm that our processes were solid and ensure that our equipment is in top working order," the spokesperson told Becker's. "Our hospital has available generator power beyond the regulatory requirements, providing an added layer of security for all who rely on us."
State investigators revisited the facility in November and determined the issues had been corrected. The hospital said it did not receive any financial penalties or incur any other citations related to the incident.
Editor's note: This article was updated March 25 at 3:21 p.m. CT.