Bellevue Hospital Reopens Trauma Service After Brief Computer Outage

Bellevue said that its computer systems were knocked out by an electrical problem and couldn't accept any new patien...

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DNAinfo/Heather Holland

KIPS BAY — Two weeks after it reopened following damage from Hurricane Sandy, Bellevue Hospital Center briefly had to turn away new trauma patients because an electrical problem shut down its computer systems Friday, officials said.

The system outage forced the hospital to divert new trauma patients Friday morning, but was quickly restored, officials said.

The FDNY was notified about 8:30 a.m. to divert new patients, but that service was restored as of 9 a.m., a spokesman said. 

The Health and Hospitals Corporation, which oversees the hospital, said the outage occurred much earlier in the morning and was cleared about midnight Friday morning, according to a spokeswoman.

Current patients weren't affected, officials said.

It's unclear what caused Friday's problems, but the HHC spokeswoman said it wasn't related to Hurricane Sandy.

Bellevue reopened its trauma centers last week for the first time since Sandy, which flooded its basement containing key electrical equipment, knocking out power to the hospital.