After days of electrical trouble, things back to normal at this Tacoma hospital complex

After days of running on generator power, full electricity has been restored to Tacoma’s main MultiCare campus.

“As of 12:35 a.m. Monday, main power has been fully restored to MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital and Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Both hospitals will be back to normal operations this morning,” Multicare spokesman Scott Thompson said in an email.

A water leak Wednesday in a piece of medical equipment at Tacoma General Hospital short-circuited an electrical switch feeding Phillips Pavilion at the hospital, 315 MLK Jr. Way, causing the hospital to go to generator power.

Repairs were made, but a small fire Thursday in an electrical vault prompted the campus to return to generator power. Crews worked through the weekend to assess and repair the troubles.

Some surgeries and services were either re-scheduled or diverted to other area hospitals in the meantime.

“MultiCare extends our thanks to Tacoma Public Utilities and our support vendor, CBS Field Service, for their partnership with our facilities team in making repairs and restoring power,” Thompson’s Monday email said. “We greatly appreciate the collaboration with health systems throughout the region for their support.

“We recognize the dedication and excellence of all our physicians, nurses, and support staff during the last few days. Their work enabled us to safely care for our patients during challenging circumstances.”