Bellevue Hospital being evacuated

[rainbow4321]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/york-citys-bellevue-hospital-set-evacuate-sandy/story?id=17607625

New York City's Bellevue Hospital and its remaining 700 patients have struggled along in the aftermath of Sandy -- with failing power, partially lighted halls, no computers, making it difficult to locate patients within the facility, hospital staff told ABC News today.

When Sandy hit the New York area Monday night, Bellevue almost lost its generators. At least one got repaired just in time to stave off an evacuation, but it's been a struggle to keep the hospital going. Now an evacuation is expected -- making Bellevue the second of the city's public hospitals to be taken off line because of precarious and failing conditions that could endanger patient health.

"It's Katrina-esque in there," one nurse told ABC News.

[Auntie Bush]

1. Bellevue! Isn't that a mental hospital? At least it used to be 50 years ago.

It should be difficult to evacuate... with a lot of confused and irrational patients.

[justiceischeap]

6. Like most hospitals, it has a mental heath facility, yes. nt

[Raine1967]

8. That portion of the hospital became a homeless shelter.

From a 2010 article:

The Department of Homeless Services sought to downplay the development. According to a DHS spokesperson, the recession and related rise in demand for shelter spaced has slowed down the redevelopment process, but the agency intends to move forward at some point in the future. Further, to allay community concerns, DHS will relocate the shelter entrance to the 30th Street side of the building. <snip>

Since 1998, the site, bounded by the F.D.R. and First Avenue, and 29th and 30th streets, has served as a homeless intake center and men’s homeless shelter.

[pinto]

2. Hope all remain safe. That's a lot of patients to transfer.

Geez.

[Barack_America]

4. A nightmare for the staff.

I can't even begin to imagine.

[Historic NY]

3. And the reason backup generators....

the same ones that should be tested on a daily or weekly basis. We have them in several municipal buildings and they come on-line testing for 20-30 minutes daily. I listened to one every day for 10yrs working the night shift w/o fail at 5-5:30 am. Deferred maintenance issues or just poor infrastructure. There should be no excuse there was time.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. I am curious as to where the hospital generators are located

betcha in the basement?

[Historic NY]

7. appears so..

[Raine1967]

9. Bellevue serves a lot of financially and medically disadvantaged people in NYC.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/hia/html/resources/hhc.shtml

HHC assists patients by helping them apply for public health insurance - Medicaid, Family Health Plus, and Child Health Plus, EPIC (for seniors) and ADAP (for people with HIV/AIDS). If the person is not eligible for these programs, HHC will help the patient by reducing the fee the she is asked to pay.

HHC staff also works with patients who are admitted into the hospital for care to check their eligibility for health insurance coverage, but if they are not eligible, the amount they are charged is lower than their hospital bill. The staff will let patients know what information they need to help them determine what fee they will be charged.

[Myrina]

10. Just curious - we never heard anything about Rikers Island

I assume it survived the storm?