Issue at Select Specialty Hospital leads to evacuation of patients from Erie facility

An incident at a critical illness recovery hospital in Erie early Wednesday morning led to the building's evacuation and the transferring of its patients to other local hospitals.

Details on what led officials at Select Specialty Hospital, 252 W. 11th St., to evacuate the 50-bed facility were not available from hospital officials, who could not be reached for comment on Wednesday morning. But according to Erie Bureau of Fire officials, city firefighters were called to the facility shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of an electrical odor in a heating unit.

A fire official said crews did not find any problems but power was shut off to that unit.

An issue believed to be mechanical at Select Specialty Hospital in Erie on Wednesday morning led to the evacuation of the West 11th Street facility and the transferring of 23 patients to other local hospitals.
An issue believed to be mechanical at Select Specialty Hospital in Erie on Wednesday morning led to the evacuation of the West 11th Street facility and the transferring of 23 patients to other local hospitals.

At about 3:50 a.m. Wednesday, according to Erie County 911, the hospital began evacuating the facility and sent its patients to other hospitals. The Erie fire official said one of the city's engine companies was sent to Select Specialty to assist emergency medical service crews in moving 23 patients to other hospitals.

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Twelve of the patients went to Saint Vincent Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Monica Lewis. Information was not immediately available from UPMC Hamot Wednesday morning.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Patients evacuated after issue at Select Specialty Hospital in Erie PA

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