Hospital mold may cost over $26 million

[Guest guest]

Hospital mold may cost over $26 million

Lawsuits continue over alleged botched removal

http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/ox/article/0,1375,VCS_238_446136

3,00.html

By Levin, clevin@...

February 12, 2006

VENTURA,CA

A four-year effort to rid St. 's Regional Medical Center in

Oxnard of mold has affected more than half of its patient rooms and

could end up costing at least $26 million, documents show.

Hospital officials in December acknowledged the cleanup plan but

said the mold did not " present a health hazard to patients,

employees or visitors. "

The hospital has not stopped any services during the cleanup, and no

interruptions are anticipated, spokeswoman Rita O'Connor said in a

statement released this month. O'Connor declined further comment.

Catholic Healthcare West, the hospital's San Francisco-based

corporate parent, is suing more than a dozen contractors for $25

million for allegedly failing to rid the hospital of mold.

The Rose Avenue facility opened in 1992, is licensed for 265 beds

and serves a combined population of more than 200,000 in the greater

Oxnard and Port Hueneme area.

Crews have been cleaning and repairing the hospital since at least

2002, according to documents filed with the California Office of

Statewide Health Planning and Development.

The work has affected at least 131 of 210 patient rooms, five of 10

coronary care unit rooms, a neonatal intensive care unit, the

morgue, showers, doctors' sleeping quarters, a dietary facility,

break rooms, nurses' stations and administrative offices, the

documents show.

Two labor-and-delivery rooms were reopened in August after a

yearlong closure, according to an Aug. 3 letter from Laurie Bigham,

the hospital's chief nursing executive, to a state regulator. The

rooms were cleaned, inspected and approved for use, Bigham wrote.

Several Oxnard doctors who send patients to St. 's said they

were aware of the mold problems but that it did not affect their

patients' care.

Mold can pose a health risk for people with allergies, asthma or

other respiratory problems, or compromised immune systems, such as

those with AIDS or cancer, experts say.

The hospital mold was caused by construction defects that allowed

moisture and water to invade the hospital, according to the St.

's lawsuit.

Hired consultants have monitored the mold levels since it was first

discovered, according to O'Connor's statement. The work

involves " reskinning " the building's entire exterior and replacing

most of its windows and patient showers.

It's unclear when and how the hospital first discovered the mold and

how much it has found.

Catholic Healthcare West filed its 2003 suit in Ventura County

Superior Court. The suit names 15 defendants, including general

contractor Centex Rodgers Inc. of Nevada and HKS Inc., a Texas-based

architectural firm.

Charges include breach of contract, negligence, negligent

misrepresentation and intentionally concealing and suppressing

facts.

Most of the defendants were hired to clean up the mold, but the

effort failed, causing " new and more extensive problems ... to

previously undamaged portions of the hospital, " the suit alleges.

Attorneys for Centex and HKS did not return calls seeking comment.

The suit is in arbitration, with a hearing scheduled for May.

According to a Sept. 6 building permit issued by the state, St.

's now has a $26 million contract with another company leading a

new cleanup.

The work includes sealing off rooms, windows, and heating and air

conditioning vents with plastic tarps to ensure that mold spores

don't leave the immediate site, said Burroughs, 27, of

Ventura, a former cleanup employee. Burroughs said he worked for a

subcontractor on the new cleanup from March 2004 until May 2005,

when he was fired after a dispute with a supervisor over a

respirator mask.

He claimed some of the new work might have failed to prevent mold

from spreading, because the tarps often fell down. " We tried to plug

it up, but it was kind of like fighting a losing battle, " Burroughs

said.

Officials with the subcontracting firm could not be reached for

comment.

Kurt Schaefer, deputy director for facilities with the state

Planning and Development Agency, said the construction work has gone

smoothly. The state Industrial Relations and Health Services

departments conducted two investigations of complaints related to

the mold but found no violations, officials said.

Betty , district administrator with the Department of Health

Services' Oxnard office, said last week that she would investigate

when told of Burroughs' allegations.

The investigation will take four to six weeks, said Norma Arceo, a

spokeswoman with the state agency.

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[Guest guest]

> Hospital mold may cost over $26 million

> Lawsuits continue over alleged botched removal

And to think that I was just corresponding with the owner of a

business that cleans ventilation systems who claims to have never

encountered a person made ill by a building or had any problems with

mold in So. California.

Considering that I've been to So. Cal and seen people react in bad

buildings there, I find this absolutely amazing.

Of course, I know a few places in Reno where people are sick but

refuse to admit it for fear of losing their jobs, or just plain don't

know what it is.

Either way - if I asked them about SBS, they probably wouldn't give

an accurate reflection of the problem.

-

[Guest guest]

The West Boca Hospital is so bad I can't be in their parking lot please as I

tell all else don't take my word investigate

[] Hospital mold may cost over $26 million

Hospital mold may cost over $26 million

Lawsuits continue over alleged botched removal

http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/ox/article/0,1375,VCS_238_446136

3,00.html

By Levin, clevin@...

February 12, 2006

VENTURA,CA

A four-year effort to rid St. 's Regional Medical Center in

Oxnard of mold has affected more than half of its patient rooms and

could end up costing at least $26 million, documents show.

Hospital officials in December acknowledged the cleanup plan but

said the mold did not " present a health hazard to patients,

employees or visitors. "

The hospital has not stopped any services during the cleanup, and no

interruptions are anticipated, spokeswoman Rita O'Connor said in a

statement released this month. O'Connor declined further comment.

Catholic Healthcare West, the hospital's San Francisco-based

corporate parent, is suing more than a dozen contractors for $25

million for allegedly failing to rid the hospital of mold.

The Rose Avenue facility opened in 1992, is licensed for 265 beds

and serves a combined population of more than 200,000 in the greater

Oxnard and Port Hueneme area.

Crews have been cleaning and repairing the hospital since at least

2002, according to documents filed with the California Office of

Statewide Health Planning and Development.

The work has affected at least 131 of 210 patient rooms, five of 10

coronary care unit rooms, a neonatal intensive care unit, the

morgue, showers, doctors' sleeping quarters, a dietary facility,

break rooms, nurses' stations and administrative offices, the

documents show.

Two labor-and-delivery rooms were reopened in August after a

yearlong closure, according to an Aug. 3 letter from Laurie Bigham,

the hospital's chief nursing executive, to a state regulator. The

rooms were cleaned, inspected and approved for use, Bigham wrote.

Several Oxnard doctors who send patients to St. 's said they

were aware of the mold problems but that it did not affect their

patients' care.

Mold can pose a health risk for people with allergies, asthma or

other respiratory problems, or compromised immune systems, such as

those with AIDS or cancer, experts say.

The hospital mold was caused by construction defects that allowed

moisture and water to invade the hospital, according to the St.

's lawsuit.

Hired consultants have monitored the mold levels since it was first

discovered, according to O'Connor's statement. The work

involves " reskinning " the building's entire exterior and replacing

most of its windows and patient showers.

It's unclear when and how the hospital first discovered the mold and

how much it has found.

Catholic Healthcare West filed its 2003 suit in Ventura County

Superior Court. The suit names 15 defendants, including general

contractor Centex Rodgers Inc. of Nevada and HKS Inc., a Texas-based

architectural firm.

Charges include breach of contract, negligence, negligent

misrepresentation and intentionally concealing and suppressing

facts.

Most of the defendants were hired to clean up the mold, but the

effort failed, causing " new and more extensive problems ... to

previously undamaged portions of the hospital, " the suit alleges.

Attorneys for Centex and HKS did not return calls seeking comment.

The suit is in arbitration, with a hearing scheduled for May.

According to a Sept. 6 building permit issued by the state, St.

's now has a $26 million contract with another company leading a

new cleanup.

The work includes sealing off rooms, windows, and heating and air

conditioning vents with plastic tarps to ensure that mold spores

don't leave the immediate site, said Burroughs, 27, of

Ventura, a former cleanup employee. Burroughs said he worked for a

subcontractor on the new cleanup from March 2004 until May 2005,

when he was fired after a dispute with a supervisor over a

respirator mask.

He claimed some of the new work might have failed to prevent mold

from spreading, because the tarps often fell down. " We tried to plug

it up, but it was kind of like fighting a losing battle, " Burroughs

said.

Officials with the subcontracting firm could not be reached for

comment.

Kurt Schaefer, deputy director for facilities with the state

Planning and Development Agency, said the construction work has gone

smoothly. The state Industrial Relations and Health Services

departments conducted two investigations of complaints related to

the mold but found no violations, officials said.

Betty , district administrator with the Department of Health

Services' Oxnard office, said last week that she would investigate

when told of Burroughs' allegations.

The investigation will take four to six weeks, said Norma Arceo, a

spokeswoman with the state agency.

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