Published on February 10, 2012

Mary Greeley Medical Center Recovers from Flood Damage

AMES, IA – Mary Greeley Medical Center is nearly back to its regular surgery schedule following basement flooding that damaged an area where surgical equipment is stored and sterilized.

On Monday, January 30, a broken water main sent a torrent of water into Mary Greeley's basement, causing extensive damage to the medical center's Sterile Processing Department (SPD). The SPD was shutdown as the basement was cleared of all equipment, cleaned and repaired.

"This was a challenging situation, but we're just about back to normal, thanks to the tireless efforts of everyone at Mary Greeley Medical Center," said CEO and president Brian Dieter. “This has been a significant and impressive team effort.”

Area hospitals in Boone, Nevada and Des Moines have helped clean and sterilize Mary Greeley’s surgical equipment. Mary Greeley officials and physicians have worked closely to schedule surgeries that can be safely performed with available equipment and supplies.

“For the most part, we’ve been doing what we do everyday—providing outstanding patient care,” said Dieter. “The damage to our SPD briefly interrupted our surgery schedule, resulting in some surgeries being rescheduled or handled at other area hospitals. We regret the inconvenience this caused some of our patients and physicians, and deeply appreciate their understanding.” 

Several other departments that were housed in the basement temporarily relocated to other spaces in the medical center.