BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Non-emergency surgeries at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center have been postponed due to a water chemistry issue affecting sterilization.
The hospital started suspending surgeries last Wednesday and has hired a water chemistry expert to determine the exact nature of the problem.
A PeaceHealth spokesperson said they’ve had to postpone surgeries on and off for several weeks for the same issue, but because the impact on equipment was intermittent, they’ve been able to perform most of the scheduled procedures.
The organization says their infection prevention experts have monitored this situation and have determined that no surgical cases have gone forward with equipment affected by the water chemistry issue.
The hospital’s emergency department remains open and continues to accept patients.
Hear the full interview with PeaceHealth Northwest Network Chief Executive Charles Prosper here.