Re: Fayetteville VA hospital makes mold repairs

[Guest guest]

Hospitals in Broward and Palm Beach County are so bad the parking lots arrant

safe nor is the waiting room it's in the AC this is why the outside air is so

bad. check into the Story about the Woman at Disney world Yesterday she died a

strange death!?. the Air is so bad we need to ask for toxic report on her.

Elvira

[] Fayetteville VA hospital makes mold repairs

Published on Thursday, April 13, 2006

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article?id=230766

Fayetteville VA hospital makes mold repairs

Fayetteville Online - Fayetteville NC

By Fuquay

Staff writer

The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fayetteville has had problems

with mold for several years and continues to seek federal funds to

make repairs.

Some patient rooms were evacuated after an inspection last year

found the areas to be unsafe.

Hospital spokeswoman Norma Byrd said the center hopes to receive

funding for exterior maintenance this year, but the money has yet to

be approved, and repairs aren't scheduled for completion until

September 2007.

In the meantime, Byrd said, almost $1million in roof repairs have

been completed and should eliminate leaks suspected of contributing

to mold. She said the patient areas have been cleaned.

" All those rooms were taken out of order until that was fixed, " she

said. " Our objective is always to provide safe patient care. "

An inspection in August by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector

General found " degrading plaster, mold and mildew on interior walls

in some patient care areas. " A musty odor, water penetration and

plaster decay also were found in a stairwell, the report said.

" They identified the decaying plaster as some risk to infection

control, " said Rich Ehrlichman, a deputy assistant inspector general

in Washington.

Ehrlichman said the inspection did not find a specific source of

moisture, but the roof was considered a likely source.

Byrd said broken pieces of slate on the roof were replaced, and

repairs were made to gutters and flashing. The repairs cost

$997,539. Ehrlichman said his office verified last month that the

roof repair was complete.

$500,000 project

An exterior maintenance project is planned to eliminate other

potential sources of moisture. The repairs are expected to cost

about $500,000, Byrd said, and include replacing decaying bricks,

repairing mortar between bricks, caulking around windows and

waterproofing the outside of the building.

Byrd said she believes the project will be funded this year.

Interior leaks allowing moisture and mold were noted in a 1999

workplace evaluation, according to a report from the Office of

Inspector General. The hospital tried to address the issue as early

as 1996, but competition for maintenance funds left the problem

unresolved.

The Fayetteville VA hospital must compete for funding against seven

other facilities in the region. The projects are funded based on

their ranking in an evaluation.

Ehrlichman said the hospital had made sufficient progress in

eliminating mold and would not face penalties because of the length

in time to receive maintenance funding.

" We generally like to see implementation within the first 12

months, " he said. " They are seeking money for additional repairs, so

we'll keep on top of it until it's finished. "

In addition to mold and moisture, the Office of Inspector General

found other deficiencies at the hospital that have since been

corrected.

Inspections of controlled substances were not conducted as often as

required, certain inventory controls were inaccurate, medical

equipment was improperly stored and blocked access to emergency

devices in a post-anesthesia care unit, waste receptacles were dirty

and some room number signs were missing.

Staff writer Fuquay can be reached at

fuquayj@... or (919) 828-7641.

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