BURST PIPE FORCES
CLOSURE OF THE WINNIPEG ACCESS HEALTH WEST BUILDING NEAR THE GRACE
HOSPITAL. THE BURST PIPE WAS DISCOVERED
RELATIVELY QUICKLY BECAUSE AN ALARM WAS TRIGGERED AND BUILDING SECURITY
PERSONNEL RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY
By: Ashley Prest
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press Services provided by
the Access centre will be relocated in the neighbourhood
WATER damage from a frozen pipe that burst on Sunday
will cause the Access Winnipeg West building near the Grace Hospital to be
closed Monday and in the short term, a hospital spokesman says.
On Sunday, there were no staff or clients inside the
building, which offers a range of health and social services. Its regular
business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Jon Einarson, the Grace Hospital's community relations
director, said the pipe burst on the third floor but there is
"significant" water damage on all floors.
"It has caused damage that makes the building not
usable in the short term. We're not sure the extent of that at this
juncture," Einarson said.
"What we're doing right now is working on our
contingency plan to address client needs.
Einarson said the centre has from 100 to 125 client
visits per day. He said the "geographic integration" of the services
through the Access Winnipeg West facility will be maintained wherever possible.
"The folks that go to the Access Centre in this end
of town are accessing the services available here," he said. "We will
be locating temporary space within Grace Hospital and perhaps other spaces in
the community in this surrounding area where we will continue to provide the
services we would normally provide. We'll be keeping the services in this end
of the city."
He said Access Winnipeg West has about 170 staff members
who work daily at the facility.
Clients and staff needing assistance in finding the temporary
locations of services or offices are asked to check the Grace Hospital for more
information.
"If they come to the main lobby of Grace
Hospital... we will have signage posted at the Access Centre as well,"
Einarson said. "We'll have a mini-reception area where we will be
redirecting people where to go."
Access Winnipeg West, which opened in May, is one of
five such centres in Winnipeg, including Access Downtown, NorWest, River East
and Transcona.
Einarson said the damage will be covered by insurance,
and adjusters will be in during the week to assess the damage. He said the
burst pipe was discovered relatively quickly because an alarm was triggered and
building security personnel responded immediately.
The Access centres each include a primary care clinic
with physicians, nurse practitioners and primary care nurses along with
services such as counselling, psychology, occupational therapy, audiology,
speech pathology pharmacy, physiotherapy and psychiatry, dietary, laboratory
and seniors health resources.
Access centres also help people find a family doctor.