CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Due to the serious weather conditions expected from Hurricane Matthew, Health First has been evacuating patients from its hospital in Cape Canaveral.
The most critical patients were relocated Tuesday night and the remaining patients are expected to be transferred by the end of the day on Wednesday.
"We've been doing rounds since yesterday, to talk with the patients. They seem to be very calm and they're thankful we're keeping them safe," said Kimberly Cribb, Director of Emergency Services.
63 patients were evacuated in total. Four ICU patients and eight mothers and their babies. The last time this hospital was evacuated was in 2004 with Huricanes Frances and Jeanne.
"Safety is our number one priority and we prepare for these types of situations," said Matthew Gerrell, Health First's vice president of marketing and communications in a release. "As we continue to monitor Hurricane Matthew, Health First is taking all of the necessary safety precautions. With Cape Canaveral Hospital being located on a barrier island, we felt the evacuation was needed to ensure the safety of our patients."
The hospital said they will begin accepting new patients once the storm has passed and damage, if any, has been assessed and cleared for safety.