Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Kindred Hospital was forced to transfer eight critically ill patients on ventilators about 2 miles away to Broward Health Medical Center May 11 after a power outage, according to the Sun Sentinel.
"Patient care and safety are our No. 1 concern," David Wagner, South Florida market CEO for Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare, told the Sun Sentinel. "Earlier in the day, we lost power, and out of an abundance of caution and in order to protect our patients, we evacuated seven intensive-care patients."
When the patients were being evacuated, the hospital was without backup power. However, emergency power turned on later, allowing the hospital to continue functioning, according to the statement.
The Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department, which brought eight rescue trucks to the hospital within minutes, said there were eight evacuees. The remaining patients on ventilators had six-hour back-up batteries to continue running the ventilators.
"Patient care went flawlessly, and we took all eight patients to the hospital without any issues," Battalion Chief Greg May of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue told the Sun Sentinel.