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Duke University Hospital has officially lifted the Emergency Department diversion protocol and is actively accepting all EMS traffic.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the region’s emergency services and neighboring hospitals who have supported us over the last few days in getting our emergency department operational following the flooding on December 26th.

(Update from December 30th below)

Duke University Hospital staff works around the clock to ensure our patients receive quality care. They have made progress in restoring some essential services in the emergency department, which flooded on December 26th after a cold water pipe burst.

The emergency room’s main entrance, waiting room and 16 beds are now operational. In addition, we use additional clinical units to treat emergency patients who arrive out of pocket. This represents a majority of the 76 spaces the hospital normally has in its emergency department.

The emergency department is still diverted for ambulance traffic, but we expect it to open to some ambulance traffic later today. The hospital accepts transfer patients from other hospitals who require inpatient care and has admitted more than 100 patients in the last four days.

Surgical cases proceed as usual.

Adjacent radiology areas suffered significant damage, and imaging services continue to be redistributed to other locations throughout the hospital and health system, with priority given to acute patients.

Our priority is the safety and care of our patients, and we appreciate our incredible teams who are working nonstop to restore access to the services patients need as we recover from this unprecedented event. Our sincere thanks also go to our neighboring hospitals who provided exceptional care for the community during this event.

(PREVIOUS UPDATE BELOW)

With the safety of our patients and staff as our top priority, Duke University Hospital continues to address cleanup and water conservation efforts following flooding from the pipe burst on December 26th.

Questions have been raised about discolored floodwaters. The pipe burst involved a cold water pipe that supplies heat and cold to the building. Although the water is not potable, it is clean water that is treated to prevent biological growth, corrosion and scale.

As the water seeped through the ceiling and walls, it picked up debris and carried it away. Our Office of Occupational and Environmental Safety (OESO), infection prevention team and hospital leadership have worked together to ensure water recovery initiatives are carried out safely and expeditiously.

The flooding primarily affected the first floor of the hospital near the emergency room and adjacent areas. There was no impact on inpatient departments or operating rooms located on other floors.

Currently, emergency patients who come to the emergency room on their own are cared for at alternating locations throughout the hospital. Some ER beds have reopened and we hope to open additional beds, the ER triage area and waiting room this weekend.

Ambulance traffic continues to be diverted, but our aim is to resume services as quickly as possible. We are grateful to our EMS partners and other local healthcare organizations who have helped ensure our community has access to urgent medical care.

We are working diligently to restore the high quality of care our patients and the public have come to expect from Duke University Hospital and are making every effort to ensure there are minimal disruptions during this unprecedented event.