Pipes burst at the University of Vermont Medical Center’s main building in several places over the weekend after overnight temperatures going into Saturday dropped below minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit in the Burlington area.
There was flooding in multiple parts of the building and several rooms were temporarily closed in both the medical and surgical intensive care units, according to UVM Health Network spokesperson Annie Mackin. In addition to patient areas, some office spaces were damaged, including walls, floors and staff belongings, she added.
All but one or two rooms reopened by Monday morning because staff worked over the weekend to conduct repairs, Mackin said. The flooding and resulting closures did not affect “our ability to provide care to critically ill patients in need,” she said, adding that she was also not aware of any significant impact to non-critical care.
Patients should continue to arrive for all appointments as planned, Mackin said.