Part of ICU at VA Hospital in Oakland shut down due to mold

PITTSBURGH — Part of the intensive care unit at the VA Hospital in Oakland is shut down because of mold.

Officials say the mold was found in one of the intensive care units during routine maintenance work over the weekend.

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“We were doing routine maintenance, and while they were changing belts and grease in the unit, they discovered some materials that was suspect,” said Jim Alban, facility manager at the Pittsburgh VA Hospital.

The unit was immediately shut down and the patients were moved.

“We moved the patients out to other units, and shut down air units,” said Dr. Brooke Decker, director of infection prevention at the Pittsburgh VA Hospital.

Officials said the unit will stay closed until the mold problem is fixed.

“We don’t typically see that. So we’re reviewing it and trying to find the source,” Alban said.

The hospital says this has not had any effect on patient care.

“Our patients are important to us,” Alban said.

WPXI