Buford Highway is flooded due to a major water main break in DeKalb County. The county is under a boil water advisory. The break is impacting services across the county, including hospitals.
The DeKalb County Board of Health announced that all of its locations are closed for the day due to the ongoing situation. Its health centers are located in Decatur, Lithonia and Chamblee.
Emory Healthcare is closing many of its DeKalb County clinic locations because of the Buford Highway water main break.
Clinics that are closed include Clinics A, B and C on the Clifton Campus, along with clinics located in the 1525 Building on Clifton Road. Emory Clinics in Tucker, Dunwoody, North Decatur Road in Decatur, Ponce de Leon in Decatur and Family Practice Associates in Dunwoody are all closed.
Patients are being notified directly about these closures, and are being rescheduled as needed. The Infusion Centers and Radiation Oncology will also contact patients directly about their appointments.
At Emory University Orthopedics & Spine Hospital on Montreal Road in Tucker, surgical cases have been canceled. At Emory University Hospital on Clifton Road, surgical and procedural cases continue as normal.
Operations also continue as normal at Emory Rehabilitation Hospital and on Emory’s Wesley Woods Campus.
“All appropriate precautions are being taken to ensure the safety and quality of care to our patients, including use of bottled water,” spokeswoman Janet Christenbury said.
Emory University, which is closed at 10 a.m., advised Emory Healthcare employees to refer to emails and its intranet for information on operations and procedures.
Patient care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hospitals is not being impacted, according to spokeswoman Jessica Pope.
DeKalb Medical said Wednesday morning that it has low water pressure and elective surgeries are being rescheduled. The Decatur facility, at 2701 North Decatur Road, said it has measures in place to keep its current patients safe.
The private, non-profit health system’s Wellness Center, an 18,000-square-foot fitness facility with an indoor pool and track, is closed due to the water main break. It is located at 2665 North Decatur Road.
READ | What to do (and what not to do) during a boil water advisory — 7 tips from CDC experts
READ | DeKalb Schools releasing students early due to water main break
For the latest updates on DeKalb water main break, download the AJC Breaking News app here: http://membercenter.myajc.com/products#/mobile
About the Author