All Children’s Hospital to spend millions improving campus ahead of storm season

All Children's Hospital storm-hardening campus

FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is investing $37 million into hardening the hospital’s campus.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton’s wrath didn’t spare the hospital with them causing about $1.5 million in damage.

The backstory:

"We had a lot of significant impact from utilities and other such systems that we really have to harden and get ready for the next storm," said Chief Operating Officer Justin Olsen. "As you're aware, we're a critical infrastructure hospital, and so, essentially, we can't close down. We have to shelter in place, and to be able to do that, we need to have all of our systems operating."

"We had water come through windows that don't open. We had a lot of roof and other types of, you know, sign issues," said Olsen, detailing other damage.

Hospital Upgrades:

The $37 million in upgrades includes $12 million to move the steam line from its current location down the street from the hospital, to right next to the hospital.

"That is something that's been getting worse with each sort of rain event and storm that comes through, but really in the last storm we realized we needed to act immediately," Olsen said. "Right now, it tunnels under the street for a couple of blocks, and that's where it gets water in there, and it actually starts to corrode the steam line, and that is why we have such issues."

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The steam line is used to sterilize all of their equipment, heat the hospital, provide hot water and more.

"When the air conditioning is working, you actually have to add heat in to keep it at the right temperature," Olsen said.

During Hurricane Milton, the hospital lost sewer, water and power, so they are also working on a way to hold sewage for several hours.

"We have to be here. We couldn't even probably transfer all of our kids. They're so critical and sick, and we're the only place that can really take care of them. So, we look at any vulnerability. We identify that as fast as we can," Olsen said.

They’re also investing a couple of million dollars into more satellite communications, so communications don’t deteriorate like they did during the last storms.

Money will also be used to add more wells on campus.

"So our sprinkler systems, which are designed to hold water, can maintain their pressure throughout the storm. We didn't have enough water for that in the last storm," he said.

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Big picture view:

Olsen said they are planning to apply for local grants to help cover the cost.

"The vast majority of our kids are lower-income. Our families are lower-income. We think that because of that and the immediate need, there is an opportunity to use some of the grants that have been provided to either Pinellas County or the city to help us," Olsen said. "We're not asking for all of it, but we would love some assistance because this is really dollars that we're taking away from patient programs for lower-income families to try to improve the infrastructure to make sure we can stay open."

What's next:

Olsen said they’re paying for the projects up front, though, because they’re so crucial.

The steam line project should be completed in less than a year.

The Source: FOX 13's Kailey Tracy collected the information in this story.

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