By Sara McCloskey
Like many in Central Virginia, VCU Health is experiencing impacts due to the weather and the boil water advisory issued by the City of Richmond Monday afternoon.
Snow and ice overnight Monday and Tuesday caused potentially hazardous driving conditions. And while Richmond city officials say water plant systems are stabilizing and are likely to progress to water production early Tuesday afternoon, residents are asked to continue to conserve water and boil it before consumption.
There are several changes to operations as of Tuesday, Jan. 7.
All Endoscopy and elective surgical procedures at the Ambulatory Care Center, VCU Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) and Stony Point are canceled and will be rescheduled.
All outpatient diagnostic testing/imaging procedures at VCU Medical Center, CHoR, Ambulatory Care Center, Adult Outpatient Pavillion, and Stony Point are canceled and will be rescheduled.
All downtown Richmond clinics, including the Virginia Treatment Center for Children (VTCC) and CHoR Brook Road outpatient clinics, are closed.
Williamsburg clinics are closed.
All VCU Health outpatient clinics in Tappahannock and Fredericksburg along with CHoR Therapies in Fredericksburg and Stafford will operate on a delayed schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Please note: Outpatient services at Tappahannock Hospital are open and operating on a normal schedule.
If you have questions about your appointment or rescheduling, we recommend contacting the VCU Health Patient Appointment Center at (804)-828-7929.
Boil water advisories mean that tap water is not safe to drink. Here are some of the things you should do to ensure you are using water safely:
Do not drink tap water during this boil water advisory.
Do not drink from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings that receive water from the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities.
Do not use ice made from water on Monday or Tuesday. Discard the ice and sanitize the ice machine and/or ice trays. This also applies to water and ice dispensed directly from a refrigerator.
Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.
Do not wash your dishes using tap water – use boiled water or use paper plates for the next few days.
Do not wash your fruits and vegetables with tap water – use boiled or bottled water.
Do not brush your teeth with tap water – use boiled or bottled water.
Do not cook with tap water, unless your food is boiled vigorously for three minutes.
Under a boil water advisory, you should also conserve water. Here are some tips:
Eliminate or shorten shower times.
Avoid unnecessary toilet flushes.
Avoid washing clothes for as long as possible.
Postpone washing dishes if possible.
Check all faucets, showerheads and under cabinets for drips.
For those in Richmond who are having trouble finding safe drinking water, bottled water distribution sites are opening across the city. They will operate Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the following locations:
Broad Rock Library, 4820 Old Warwick Road
West End Library, 5420 Patterson Avenue
Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 Belt Boulevard
Bellemeade Community Center, 1800 Lynhaven Avenue
Midtown Green, 2401 W Leigh Street
Pine Camp Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road
Randolph Community Center, 1415 Grayland Avenue
Westover Hills Community Center, 1301 Jahnke Road
East End District Initiative (EDI), 701 North 25th Street
Southside Plaza, 4100 Hull Street Road
As this situation continues to evolve, we will provide more updates about impacts to the health system and other information for patients and community members. This article will continue to be updated with new information about the ongoing situation.
For the most up-to-date information about VCU Health and VCU, head to the VCU Alert page. There, you can also sign up to receive a text message when the latest updates are available to the community.
For more updates about Richmond’s water treatment plant restoration, please go to the city’s website.