Flooded health services center in Modesto could be closed for weeks

It could take four weeks for abatement and cleanup of a Stanislaus County Health Services Agency building that was flooded last weekend, a county official said.

The severe water leak soaked three floors and the basement of the former Stanislaus Medical Center building on Scenic Drive in Modesto. About one-fourth of the facility suffered damage but the entire building was vacated because of concerns about asbestos. The cancer-causing insulation material was used in the original construction of the hospital in 1951.

About 100 county employees, as well as offices and specialty clinics, have been moved to other locations temporarily, said Patty Hill Thomas, chief operations officer for the county.

Health and safety rules require that a licensed contractor carefully remove the water-damaged ceilings and wall materials because the flooding possibly disturbed the asbestos. Many of the areas damaged were for administrative and support staff, Hill Thomas said.

“The building is still being dried out and the damage assessment is continuing,” she said Friday. Hill Thomas had no dollar estimate on the total damage.

Workers were moving equipment and furnishings so the medical clinics can fully open Monday at other locations in the Scenic complex. Signs will direct patients who arrive for appointments Monday.

The clinics each month serve more than 1,300 patients who need to see an ear, nose and throat doctor or specialists in orthopedics, neurology, gastroenterology, wound care or podiatry.

The California Children’s Services program for children with diseases and health disorders also was moved from the building to other offices at the Scenic campus. The CCS services are usually not provided at the center but parents go there for walk-in appointments or paperwork.

The county’s Community Services Agency had eligibility offices in the building for people applying for Affordable Care Act coverage and other health programs. Those offices were temporarily moved to the Community Services Agency center on Hackett Road, off Crows Landing Road.

The Belfor USA Group is handling the abatement and cleanup of the flood-damaged building for the county. Insurance is expected to cover most of the damage.

Hill Thomas said some of the damaged areas of the facility will need to be reconstructed before they can be occupied again.

The specialty clinics, and a medical rehabilitation service that was not affected by the flooding, are scheduled to move to 1524 McHenry Ave. later this year. The county is working on a plan to find another home for Health Services Agency administration because of the age of some buildings at the Scenic campus.

A security guard discovered the water leak at the Scenic facility about 11 a.m. last Sunday. Officials determined it was caused by a broken heating circulation pump above the third floor. The leak possibly started earlier that day, Hill Thomas said.

This story was originally published June 18, 2016 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Flooded health services center in Modesto could be closed for weeks."