Staff from Braunwald Tower 8 come together for a group photo while working in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit.

When a water line broke in the Braunwald Tower last month, staff and leaders from numerous departments worked together calmly and with patients at the center of their response.

That’s what Katie Fillipon, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, interim chief nursing officer and senior vice president, Patient Care Services, noticed when she rounded a few hours later.

“Our patient care teams were at the side of every patient who was impacted, providing words of assurance and comfort to our most critically ill population and ensuring they were stable and comfortable,” Fillipon said. “They also alerted all of our patients’ family members about the event.”

The water line break caused significant amounts of clean water to leak into several areas of the Braunwald Tower in the early morning hours on Dec. 24, resulting in the full evacuation of patients from Braunwald Tower 7C and 8C, as well as partial evacuations of patients on Braunwald Tower 3, 4 and 6.

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of several teams who worked rapidly under challenging circumstances, 29 patients were safely evacuated and relocated to other units in the hospital. The cause of the event was remediated quickly, and all water was removed from affected areas within a few hours.

Diane Tsitos, DNP, RN, nursing director of Braunwald Tower 8, the Burn, Trauma and Surgical ICU and Intermediate Care units, was in awe of how staff navigated the challenging situation to ensure patient care remained the top priority.

“The staff on 8D were amazing,” Tsitos said. “They moved eight patients, six of whom were on a ventilator and intubated and two other patients, all within 35 minutes. This speaks to the incredible teamwork they display each day.”

Tsitos also commended the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and Extended Recovery Unit (ERU) teams for their hospitality — several patients who were evacuated from the Braunwald Tower were moved to the PACU or ERU for care during the flood and during repairs in the Braunwald Tower.

Nurse administrators Monique Terrio, MSN, MBA, RN, NE-BC, and Christopher Day, MSN, RN, were working the night of the water line break. They commented on the “exceptional and above and beyond” teamwork from all who were involved and thanked their colleagues for their collaboration and dedication to patient safety.

Several other areas of the hospital were also impacted, including the invitro fertilization (IVF) clinic, the rehabilitation department and the Bretholtz Center for Patients and Families.

The IVF Clinic team quickly began communicating with patients and arranging for care at alternate locations as appropriate.

“Our team has been incredible,” said Nawal Nour, MD, MPH, MBA, chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “I was proud to watch how quickly they addressed the leak and made certain that every embryo was safe.” All frozen embryos and eggs remained safe during the event.

Many teams, including Engineering, Environmental Affairs and Environmental Services, have worked around the clock on clean-up efforts, partnering with Infection Control to evaluate and address potential safety and infection control risks in all affected areas. In addition, multiple outside vendors were brought in to help mitigate residual moisture and to expedite construction in the affected areas.

Jon Boyer, ScD, CIH, director of Environmental Affairs, and his team have been involved in many rapid responses and site assessments over the years. He said the only thing as impressive as the quick response of many teams to the water line break is the systematic multidisciplinary stabilization, recovery and repair of hospital operations, facilities and equipment that followed.

“Many teams deserve thanks for the great progress we’ve made towards the return to full operations in such a short time over the holidays,” Boyer said. “Although the incident has been difficult and disruptive, our collective dedication to patient care and each other has carried us through, yet again.”

Throughout the event, Fillipon and other leaders witnessed many heartfelt interactions among staff, patients and their families. One of the most impactful moments Fillipon observed was the way registered nurse Tiffany Alongi, PCCN, CCRN, TCAR, ACLS, BLS, of the Trauma, Burn and Surgical Critical Care Units, cared for a patient with acute delirium who did not speak English as their primary language.

“Tiffany was constantly assuring this patient,” Fillipon said. “When the daughter arrived minutes after the patient was transitioned, Tiffany welcomed her to the bedside, updating her with the events of the patient’s care, getting her a chair for her comfort and making her feel included in the care of this vulnerable patient.”

While repairs are still ongoing in some units, many of the impacted areas have returned to normal, a welcome sight for employees and patients alike.

“We want to express our tremendous gratitude to the many individuals who worked around the clock amid extremely difficult conditions to respond to this event,” said Scott Goldberg, MD, MPH, medical director, Emergency Preparedness. “Thank you for your dedication and commitment.”

George Player, CPE, FMA, vice president of Facilities and Operations, said that the Engineering team is taking steps to reduce future facility issues.

To reduce the risk and impact of future events, the team is proactively installing additional shutoff valves throughout pods in the Braunwald Tower that are under repair. The team is also doing a formal assessment of other piping systems and potential sources of leaks or other vulnerabilities and replacing parts of the system as part of the repair work.

Additional assessments are underway in other areas of the campus, including the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women and Newborns and an infrared review of other buildings to identify heat loss and outside air infiltration, which can lead to frozen and burst water pipes.

Fillipon said it was incredible to see staff come together for patients and their families.

“Despite the challenges, we saw the best of who we are as a Brigham community truly shine through,” Fillipon said.