Iowa hospital's surgery center fire leads to patient relocation: 4 key notes

Patients at an Iowa-based hospital's surgical center were transferred after a fire broke out in the facility, according to the Sioux City Journal.

 

Four things to know:

1. Spencer (Iowa) Hospital reported a fire Jan. 21 associated with its sterilization washer. An employee pulled the fire alarm and the hospital's sprinkler system extinguished the fire.

2. There were 16 patients transferred from the surgery center to surrounding hospitals due to smoke in the facility. Today's patients were contacted for rescheduling.

3. The hospital is still conducting an investigation of how the fire started and plans to reopen the surgery center within a few days.

4. The center's staff have trained for emergencies, and Spencer Hospital CEO Bill Bumgarner lauded the way staff handled the situation. "At no time were patients or hospital employees in danger," he said.

Copyright © 2025 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.


You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy.
 

Articles We Think You'll Like

Thank you so much for your interest in our content. Please register to access this complimentary archived content.

 

 

Already Registered? Click here to confirm.