Desert Regional Medical Center reopens kitchen a day after closure due to pest concerns
Update 2/29/24
Desert Regional Medical Center has reopened its kitchen. The closure comes a day after it was closed due to evidence of pests.
“A kitchen at Desert Regional Medical Center that was taken out of service has been re-opened. Food service operations in that space have resumed,” DRMC officials said.
Original Report 2/28/24
Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs has closed one of its two kitchens due to evidence of pests, hospital officials announced on Tuesday.
"We take this situation seriously. Following our protocols, we have called in additional resources to thoroughly assess the area and undertake any needed work," reads the hospital's email to News Channel 3.
Officials said that for a brief period, meals for staff, visitors, and patients will be served from DRMC's second kitchen. Any special dietary needs for individual patients will be met.
"We apologize for any inconvenience. We are coordinating with the appropriate agencies. Our goal is to have this resolved within the next day or two and return the kitchen to full service,” officials wrote.
The closure comes a few days after the nurses' union voiced its health and safety concerns at the Palm Springs hospital, which is managed by Tenet Healthcare.
The group put up a billboard along Highway 111 west of Palm Springs near the Interstate 10 interchange to raise public awareness of the nursing staff concerns.
The nurses association claimed that there are leaks in the hospital's neurological intensive care unit and a pest infestation in the emergency department’s break room.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the hospital's management pushed back against the claims.
“The California Nurses Association continues to spread misleading information about Desert Regional. These claims are unwarranted, and these tactics will not change Desert Regional’s unwavering commitment to the Coachella Valley," wrote Richard Ramhoff, Group Director of Marketing Richard Ramhoff.
