CLEVELAND -- An internal letter issued to University Hospitals employees details the steps the hospital has taken since a failure inside its fertility clinic compromised thousands of eggs and embryo last month.
WKYC obtained the letter issued by UH CEO Thomas Zenty Friday morning.
The malfunction happened because the temperature inside a cryo storage tank began to warm up during the overnight hours between March 3 and 4. An alarm intended to alert clinic staff to the changes inside the tank was shut off.
In the letter, Zenty says several actions have been taken to improve lab safety at the fertility clinic.
"We've changed equipment at the lab, including new tanks, alarms and remote monitoring," Zenty says. "In response to increasing demand for fertility services and new patients, we have hired additional embryologists, nurses and support staff."
Zenty also says UH has reviewed all temperature-regulated storage systems throughout the hospital and reminded staff to speak up and report any potential risks.
One concern expressed by both employees and patients is how the fertility disaster will impact the hospital's future. Zenty also addressed that in the email, saying, "The fertility clinic event will not affect our ability to serve the healthcare needs of our community. ...We have insurance programs in place to financially protect our health system's assets. Since the event, our patient volumes across the system continue at expected levels, and our fertility clinic has added 115 new patients."
The email doesn't specifically address the dozens of lawsuits filed against the hospital, or allegations they're stalling when it comes to providing information to attorneys handling those cases.
Zenty does praise fertility clinic staff for the compassion they've shown to devastated patients, some of whom have no remaining eggs or embryo and have lost their ability to have biological children.