Applause for our VGH OR and Crothall teams!

When a plumbing failure flooded the perioperative suite at VGH on the afternoon of June 29, quick thinking by our Operating Room (OR) and Crothall housekeeping teams saved the day — and night — for our patients.

“We had to close four ORs but because everyone pitched in to help, all emergency surgeries proceeded as needed overnight,” says Andrea Bisaillon, operations director, Surgical Services.

The flood also threatened the perioperative suite’s sterile core, where case carts and sterile supplies are retrieved for surgery. Thanks to everyone pulling together, all supplies were rescued — a savings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And, if all that weren’t enough, the OR team completed the next day’s full slate of surgeries despite being down four rooms. The perioperative suite is now fully operational.

“Through all of this we were able to perform all scheduled and unscheduled surgeries safely,” says Andrea. “It’s a testament to our people and their commitment to care for our patients and each other.”