All inpatients at UMass Memorial Medical Center’s Marlborough Campus were transported to neighboring hospitals on Sunday evening after a large valve broke at the facility, reducing heat in multiple areas as temperatures reached into the single digits outside.
More than 70 patients were moved to hospitals, mainly those within the Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health system, after the facility’s team reported the break at 5:45 p.m. Sunday. The hospital then went into a Code Black, stopping all ambulance arrivals at its emergency department.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone involved for the rapid and thoughtful response to this situation. Our thanks to area fire departments and EMS from across the state as well as local officials for their assistance,” UMass Memorial wrote in a Monday email.
While UMass Memorial says the Marlborough campus will stay in Code Black until further notice, the facility is still accepting walk-in emergency patients who will be transported to nearby facilities. All outpatient services for Monday were canceled, except for mammography. These closures include the system’s community medical group practices, cardiac rehab, partial hospitalization program, and radiology and lab services, according to UMass Memorial’s website.
In July, the hospital system announced the former Marlborough Hospital would merge with UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, becoming a campus of the facility as opposed to a standalone hospital.
The Marlborough Campus has broken ground on a major expansion project to see its emergency department double in size with the addition of 7,000 square feet.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare, manufacturing, and higher education industries.
