Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
With No Running Water, Kaiser's Woodland Hills Medical Center Shuts Down -- For Now
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center off De Soto Avenue has been without running water since a water main break on Saturday. (Kyle Stokes/LAist)
()
Kaiser Permanente's Woodland Hills Medical Center has temporarily shut down after a main water line breakleft the hospital without running water on Sunday.
"As of last night [Tuesday], the Woodland Hills Medical Center Urgent Care and the Emergency Departments were temporarily closed until further notice," said Dr. Greg Kelman, Kaiser's medical director for the Woodland Hills and Ventura service area.
"There are no longer any patients in our hospital," he said.
Company officials had announced Monday that all primary care and surgery appointments would be cancelled for the time being.
Support for LAist comes from
The hospital redirected patients to nearby Kaiser facilities and community hospitals, sending out texts, phone calls and emails to get the word out about the closure.
"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this closure is causing," Dr. Kelman said.
Kaiser initially estimated the hospital would have reliable water service restored by the end of the day Thursday, but now it looks as if that won't happen until Saturday morning.
The hope is to start slowly restarting operations beginning on Saturday, "but please understand that the situation continues to remain fluid and timing could change," said Woodland Hills Medical Center Senior Vice President Murtaza Sanwari.
DURING MAINTENANCE, 'WE DISCOVERED THERE WAS A LEAK'
The problem came to light when ongoing maintenance and upgrades to the hospital required a shutdown of the water systems last weekend. "Once the water systems were brought back on line, that's when we discovered there was a leak in the main line," Sanwari said.
As dictated by the hospital's emergency management plan, the hospital started slowly transferring patients elsewhere, he said.
Support for LAist comes from
The hospital at Kaiser Woodland Hills treats an average of 120 patients a week.
Kaiser installed a temporary water line, but more comprehensive testing was required before the hospital could start getting back to normal.
On Wednesday, port-a-potties and hand-washing stations stood outside an entrance to the hospital's emergency room.
State and county officials had recommended that Kaiser conduct "additional testing" on the temporary water line before reopening "to ensure patient safety," Sanwari said.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist