Bon Secours New York Health System (BSNY) Announces End to Water Emergency
(PRWEB) January 14, 2014 -- On Friday, January 10, 2014, Bon Secours New York Health System’s (BSNY) Schervier Nursing Care Center, specializing in long-term and rehabilitation care in the Riverdale section of The Bronx, lifted the water emergency declared on Friday, January 3, 2014.
Administrator Dominic D’Ambrosio declared a water emergency at 12:30 PM on January 3, 2014 when the nursing care center experienced a sudden loss of domestic water pressure. Water emergency notices were posted in the building that afternoon. “We were getting water on the ground floor, but because of low pressure, none of the upper floors had water,” said D’Ambrosio. D’Ambrosio, the facilities management team, and licensed plumbers set to work to discover the source of the problem. “The pump that supplies pressure to the building was not running, and there are many reasons why the pump shuts off: low pressure from the supply main, a leak, an obstruction,” said D’Ambrosio. D’Ambrosio notified the Department of Environmental (DEP) Protection and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and asked for their assistance in determining the cause of the problem.
On Saturday, January 4, 2014, the executive and administrative teams were called in to help implement communications and patient safety protocols. D’Ambrosio notified the Department of Health, and stepped up oversight of the situation. Hygiene and sanitation in-services were held with staff to ensure patients, visitors and staff maintained proper sanitation in the nursing care center. Emergency hydration, bathing and sanitation supplies were delivered from a sister facility, Bon Secours Charity Health System in Suffern, NY. “I can’t thank them enough, they really stepped up to help us during a very difficult time,” said D’Ambrosio. Bon Secours Charity supplied materiel and assistance for the duration of the emergency.
On Saturday, a full inspection of all building systems took place; all equipment was determined to be in working order. The facilities team, licensed plumbers, and officials from the DEP were unable to determine why the building did not have adequate water pressure. The fire suppression and heating systems were not affected by this emergency.
Over the next five days, every possibility was explored. “One by one, we eliminated any potential cause,” said D’Ambrosio. “We had tremendous support from the DEP and the OEM, the field personnel and supervisors were here every day.” Meanwhile, the facilities, housekeeping, and nursing staff worked round the clock to protect patient safety and care. “This was an unprecedented event, I am so proud of the over 500 employees who worked so diligently during the past week,” said Carlos G. Beato, CEO of BSNY. “We worked night and day to ensure a safe environment to those entrusted to our care,” Beato continued. D’Ambrosio agreed, “As always, ensuring the safety of our residents was our foremost concern, and I am happy to report, there were no lasting, ill-effects to our residents. I want to thank our residents for enduring this inconvenience with patience and understanding.”
Finally, on Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 2:00 PM, a faulty suction alarm switch on the domestic water pump was discovered. While this mechanism had been previously inspected, and the gauges indicated it was operational, when the unit was unsealed, it was discovered to be sending a false signal to shut off the pump. “We knew after eliminating nearly every possibility it would be something obscure; we’d checked everything else,” said D’Ambrosio. On Friday, January 10, 2014 at 5:20 PM the water emergency was lifted. “While water pressure was restored to the building on the afternoon of January 9, 2014, we had to ensure a safe return to full water service,” said D’Ambrosio. “I commend the entire staff for their hard work, especially housekeeping and facilities, I am honored to work with such dedicated people.”
“I want to apologize to everyone affected by this emergency. It has been a very stressful and taxing time in the lives of many over the past week,” said Beato. “This experience brought many challenges and lessons learned. We have come out of this emergency more resilient, more committed, and more self-assured.” Beato continued, “We have a critical role to play with seniors living in our community, and remain dedicated to this mission. We are blessed to be part of the Bon Secours Ministry, who for the past week has shown true partnership as “Servant Leaders.”
About Bon Secours New York Health System
Bon Secours New York Health System is comprised of Schervier Nursing Care Center, a 364-bed long-term nursing facility providing skilled nursing care, rehabilitation services, palliative care, and care in a secure environment for those with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments. In addition, the Schervier Short-Term Rehabilitation Program provides rehabilitation services for those recovering from illnesses and injuries and returning to their home and community. The Schervier Long Term Home Health Care Program provides comprehensive medically case-managed home care to residents of the Bronx and Westchester County. The Frances Schervier Apartments offer 154 units of federally-subsidized housing for independent living to seniors and heads of household with disabilities. For more information, visit http://www.scherviercares.org, or its Facebook page for frequent updates at http://www.facebook.com/SchervierNursingCareCenter.
# # #
Carlee Pett, R&J Public Relations, +1 9087225757, [email protected]
Share this article