Legionella bacteria has turned up in the water supply of Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, according to ABC 7. The bacteria was found during required testing of the medical center’s potable water supply.
NYC Health + Hospitals released a statement saying, "As part of our aggressive water monitoring program, our routine, required testing of our potable water supply found very low levels of Legionella bacteria at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi. Per guidance from the New York State Department of Health, which regulates hospitals, we have taken steps to prevent any impact on our patients, staff, or visitors. Safety is always our highest priority."
The medical center has no reports of patients being affected with Legionnaires' disease at the hospital. Enhanced water treatment and ongoing monitoring are already underway, including using only bottled water, making packaged bath wipes available for daily hygiene and installing new water filters on showers.
This Quick Read was submitted by Cathryn Jakicic, Healthcare Industries Editor, FacilitiesNet. For more about hospital campuses and other medical facilities, visit https://www.facilitiesnet.com/healthcarefacilities.
