This story, published at 7:53 p.m. June 23, 2024, was updated at 10:45 p.m. to include a statement from Adventist HealthCare.
Adventist HealthCare Germantown Emergency Center was placed on “mini disaster” status Sunday afternoon, meaning it is no longer accepting ambulances, as employees reported indoor temperatures in the 90s due to air conditioning issues.
According to a state tracking system for hospitals, “mini disaster” status means the “emergency department reports that their facility has, in effect, suspended operation and can receive absolutely no patients due to a situation such as a power-outage, fire, gas leak, bomb scare, etc.”
At 7:35 p.m., the emergency center, which is owned by Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, was listed under “mini disaster” status on the tracking system website.
The center at 19731 Germantown Road requested to be put on that status and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) and the state agreed, MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer told MoCo360 Sunday night.
“They are having some problems with the air conditioning,” Piringer said.
Because of that status, Piringer said the fire and rescue service was diverting ambulances to other hospitals.
According to center workers, who asked not to be named, ongoing problems with the air conditioning led to rising temperatures inside during the recent heat wave. Portable air conditioners brought in by the center have not stopped temperatures from rising, workers said.
A photo provided Friday night to MoCo360 by an employee of a digital wall thermostat in a patient room showed a temperature of nearly 92 degrees. Another photo provided early Sunday evening by another employee showed a temperature of 93 degrees.
In a statement Sunday night, Adventist HealthCare spokesperson Michelle Maxberry said the emergency center is “experiencing issues with its air conditioning system. Crews are working as quickly as possible to make the necessary repairs, which are expected to begin Monday. We have brought in spot coolers and fans. We expect the center to remain warmer than usual until the repairs are completed.”
The center functions similarly to the emergency department at the Shady Grove medical center, but it does not have inpatient beds, according to its website.
It remains open to walk-in patients and all patients “will be promptly seen and screened for care,” Maxberry said. “The center is coordinating with its parent hospital … to serve patients who require extensive diagnostics or treatment.”
She confirmed that ambulances were being diverted from the center “to ease its census as repairs are made,” but said officials could not give an exact timeline for lifting the “mini disaster” status.
According to Piringer, the center’s status was “not having much of an impact” on the fire and rescue service, which was transporting patients to other area hospitals.
One center employee expressed concern about patient safety because of the high temperatures. “Even the staff, we felt tired, we felt drained. There was brain fog,” the employee said. “It’s just not conducive to the best patient care.”
Maxberry said Adventist HealthCare is “focused on the well-being of our patients and our care teams” as the center works on repairing its air conditioning system. “We are extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses and techs who have worked in warmer than usual conditions so their neighbors could access emergency care,” she said.
