Four things to know:
1. Spencer (Iowa) Hospital reported a fire Jan. 21 associated with its sterilization washer. An employee pulled the fire alarm and the hospital’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire.
2. There were 16 patients transferred from the surgery center to surrounding hospitals due to smoke in the facility. Today’s patients were contacted for rescheduling.
3. The hospital is still conducting an investigation of how the fire started and plans to reopen the surgery center within a few days.
4. The center’s staff have trained for emergencies, and Spencer Hospital CEO Bill Bumgarner lauded the way staff handled the situation. “At no time were patients or hospital employees in danger,” he said.
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