H  O  U  S  E     R  E  S  O  L  U  T  I  O  N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OFFICE OF FACILITY REGULATION AND LICENSING INVESTIGATE POWER FAILURES AT RHODE ISLAND, HASBRO CHILDREN'S AND WOMEN & INFANTS HOSPITALS

WHEREAS, A power failure on January 23, 2000 forced Rhode Island, Hasbro Children's and Women & Infants Hospitals to rely on backup generators for as long as two hours, shutting down nonessential equipment and lights; and

WHEREAS, Power to the Davol Building, which houses the emergency and operating rooms, was not restored immediately and, by some accounts, power in the main Rhode Island Hospital building was not restored for as long as two hours; and

WHEREAS, This serious situation occurred four months after the September 17, 1999 blackout at Rhode Island Hospital that left one man dead and all Rhode Islanders questioning the safety and reliability of the hospital's electrical system; and

WHEREAS, Electrical system failure in hospitals is unacceptable. This serious situation poses danger to the general well-being of all patients, therefore jeopardizing the health and safety of all citizens of the State of Rhode Island; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby respectfully requests that the Rhode Island Department of Health, Office of Facility Regulation and Licensing, file a complete report which investigates the power failures of the aforementioned hospitals and further requests that the Rhode Island Department of Health, Facility Regulation and Licensing list corrective measures which shall be instituted to ensure the public that such electrical failure will not occur in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Director of the Department of Health, Dr. Patricia Nolan.