There were numerous babies on monitors, more than 100 admitted patients, and a highly active emergency room and intensive care unit. So basically, the worst time possible to lose power.
That’s what Princeton Community Hospital (PCH) in West Virginia was facing in July when a contractor cut into both circuits feeding the acute care, 270-bed facility 15 miles northeast of Bluefield. But a massive effort, spearheaded in great part by Appalachian Power’s crews and resources, accomplished in fairly short order what initially looked improbable – the complete reconstruction of the hospital’s main power feed in less than two days.
Two crews from Bluefield, WV, led APCo’s effort in Princeton Community Hospital’s recent emergency restoration. From left: Hunter Price, Dominick Bailey, Randal Thomas, Bobby Dillon, Jose Bautista, Christopher Cook, Brennan Murphy, and Adam Cooke.
"When a hospital experiences a power disruption, every minute matters,” said Karen Bowling, PCH president and CEO. “Appalachian Power's team was onsite quickly, worked shoulder to shoulder with our team and local partners, and helped us achieve the impossible: a complete replacement of the hospital’s primary power line and full restoration of service in under 48 hours.”
PCH immediately transitioned to generator power and began pursuing backup units to ensure the continued operation of critical services.
Meanwhile, the initial assessment of the outage looked grim. This wasn't a quick fix to restore power and shut down the expensive and limiting temporary generator power. The entire primary and secondary feeds needed to be rebuilt. That involved digging a new trench across the hospital’s parking lot, installing conduit, laying new cable, refilling the area, and terminating connections – all under emergency conditions and with an urgent timeline.
“Once they had the trench dug the next day, that’s where we came in,” said Ryan Mullins, Appalachian Power distribution system supervisor, noting that two crews (eight team members in all) from Bluefield, West Virginia, arrived on site and worked side by side with contractors and hospital personnel. “We did our part, they did theirs.”
Everything between the metering cabinet and the facility belongs to the hospital, but Appalachian Power provided all the new wire and a motorized reel trailer to aid in installation anyway. The APCo crews also performed all of PCH’s terminations at the facility and cabinet sides, and were there alongside the hospital’s contractors, providing counsel and direction at every step.
“We performed our work quickly and safely and got them back to normal feed, and along the way, I believe we strengthened what is already a great relationship with the hospital and the community," Mullins said.
Princeton Community Hospital, an Appalachian Power customer approximately 15 miles northeast of Bluefield, is a part of the West Virginia University Health System and is comprised of 267 beds, 160 doctors, and 1,097 employees.
That support and collaboration were paramount in returning the hospital to normal operations and mitigating any further loss of resources.
"AEP’s dedication and responsiveness helped us avoid serious disruption to care, safeguard millions in critical inventory, and keep patients close to their families,” Bowling said.
Jason Baker, APCo vice president of Operations, lauded the Bluefield teams’ efforts, noting how their efforts showcased the very best of what AEP brings to the table.
“Our teams everywhere wear on their sleeves for all to see their dedication to our customers and communities, and our crews in Bluefield demonstrated that so clearly by engaging at every step of the way in Princeton,” Baker said. “This great restoration story is a perfect example of how our teams make ‘above and beyond’ just another day on the job.”
And that’s not lost on Bowling.
“Having a utility partner like Appalachian Power that understands the stakes for a hospital and acts with shared purpose is invaluable,” Bowling said. “We are grateful for their technical expertise and the spirit of collaboration they brought to this crisis. It’s a partnership we deeply value, and one that made all the difference.”
This drone image provided by Princeton Community Hospital provides a good view of the project site, at which APCo crews worked with contractors and hospital personnel to restore normal service to the facility. The new trench that was necessary can be seen running across the bottom of the image, running from the metering cabinet to one of the facility’s buildings. Also visible are the temporary generators (the trailers) on site to help keep vital services running while the repair was being made.