October 25, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. — Kaiser Permanente reopened its Santa Rosa hospital and emergency department today, following an emergency evacuation and closure on Oct. 9 as wildfires approached the building.
Kaiser Permanente physicians, nurses and staff quickly mobilized to safely evacuate all of the hospitalized and emergency department patients as fires rapidly approached the hospital. Patients were transferred to other Kaiser Permanente facilities and community hospitals in the area. The entire evacuation took about three hours.
“Our main focus that morning was to do everything that we could to ensure that our patients were evacuated safely and transferred to the appropriate level of care where they could continue to be treated and heal,” said Josh Weil, MD, assistant physician-in-chief for Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa.
While the medical center was not damaged by the fire, due to the fire’s proximity to the building the hospital has undergone extensive cleaning, restocking and evaluation prior to reopening.
“Our commitment to the health and safety of our patients and staff is our highest priority,” explained Judy Coffey, RN, senior vice president and area manager, Kaiser Permanente Marin-Sonoma. “We are grateful to our wonderful physicians, nurses and staff — over 200 of whom lost their homes in this disaster — for their ongoing commitment and dedication, and are pleased to reopen our doors to the community.”
Kaiser Permanente medical offices at 401 Bicentennial Way reopened on Monday, Oct.16. Members with questions about scheduled appointments should contact the Appointment and Advice Call Center at 1-866-454-8855. In addition, video visits and telephone appointments are available for primary care needs. For questions about pharmacy services, including redirecting mail order prescriptions, call the Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy Call Center at 1-888-218-6245.