How critical care, health services are operating during Moore County power outage
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Moore County Power Outages
Thousands of people in Moore County, NC lost power for days in December 2022 after electrical substations were attacked. Here is the latest coverage from The News & Observer.
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Thousands in Moore County remained without power Tuesday after two electrical substations were intentionally damaged Saturday evening.
The outages, which officials say could last until Thursday, also affect some critical care and health services, such as hospitals. One large medical facility is continuing to operate on backup power, and additional resources are available to provide food, shelter and charging to residents.
Here’s what to know about how the outages are affecting these services.
Power restored at Moore Regional Hospital
Power came back on at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital — a 402-bed, acute care hospital in Pinehurst — around 9 a.m. Wednesday, said Gretchen Kelly, a spokesperson for the hospital. The hospital is now in the hours-long process of transitioning from generator power to full power.
The 11-bed hospice residence campus, located a couple miles from Moore Regional Hospital, had its power restored Wednesday morning, Kelly said. Power was restored to two primary care clinics in Carthage and a primary care clinic in Seven Lakes late Tuesday.
Since the widespread power outage started, the hospital was operating on a backup generator and had enough fuel to last “for several days,” with the ability to get more fuel as needed. FirstHealth worked with local pharmacies and medical device companies to provide support and resources for residents dependent on medical devices or who require oxygen, Kelly said.
Moore County’s transportation services are operating only for clients who have scheduled dialysis, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the county website says.
Local residents who need help charging their medical equipment are welcome to access The Clara McLean House, a hospitality house on the hospital’s campus, for those needs, Kelly said. Community members who have general charging needs should look to shelter sites (listed at the bottom of this story).
Moore County’s transportation services are operating only for clients who have scheduled dialysis, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the county website says.
DaVita Kidney Care — an international health care organization that treats over 200,000 dialysis patients worldwide — has four centers within Moore County’s outage area. DaVita has arranged treatment for all patients on their normal treatment days, though some have been sent to different treatment centers, said spokesperson Matthew Clyburn.
When power outages strike, dialysis centers like DaVita adjust patient treatment schedules or shift patients to other treatment facilities until power is restored, Clyburn said.
Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills operating as normal
Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills planned to serve its meal routes as normal Monday, delivering food to about 75 people in the area, director Rebecca Listrom told The News & Observer in a phone interview.
The organization typically serves one hot, noontime meal per day to program participants, who are generally homebound. Food recipients are divided between nine delivery routes in the towns of Aberdeen, Pinebluff, Pinehurst and Southern Pines.
The organization’s kitchen has power, Listrom said. For Monday’s food deliveries, the organization planned to partner with a local church in Carthage to provide stew and fresh bread to program participants. The organization will resume cooking its own meals on Tuesday, and has volunteers ready to deliver the meals.
The organization also provides extra snacks and food to program participants on Thursdays, so residents may have some of those items left from last week, Listrom said — though those food items in the fall and winter tend to be canned or other non-perishable goods and may require power to fix complete meals.
Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills is independent from the national Meals on Wheels organization, Listrom said.
Free food, shelter, showers, WiFi during Moore power outage
The News & Observer is continually updating a list of free food, charging stations, WiFi, showers and more as residents navigate the widespread power outage.
Check out our interactive map or our list to learn what’s available for free in Moore County each day: newsobserver.com/news
This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 11:57 AM with the headline "How critical care, health services are operating during Moore County power outage."
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