Aurora-based UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital is improving its critical infrastructure protections after someone intentionally disrupted its oxygen supply, CPR News reported Sept 21.
The incident took place Sept. 3 when someone gained access to the hospital’s outside oxygen storage area and disrupted supply to the 831-bed hospital.
“When oxygen pressure began to slowly fall, hospital staff followed their response plans and quickly switched patients who needed oxygen to backup supplies, and our facilities team switched the whole hospital over to a backup oxygen source,” Dan Weaver, UCHealth’s vice president of communications, told Becker’s.
The issue was resolved in a short time and no patients were harmed.
The University of Colorado Police, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, identified a suspect and are working on making an arrest, he said.
“Penalties for a crime like this can be very serious,” Mr. Weaver said.
He declined to share additional details about the suspect or the hospital’s enhanced security measures.
