Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Wash., closed its kitchen and cafeteria after finding evidence of rodents, according to an article on The Olympian website.
The kitchen closed on a Friday night and remained closed Monday as pest control efforts continued in and around the kitchen.
Patients’ food was being prepared and brought in from Providence Centralia Hospital, while a sign at the cafeteria entrance directed people to the first-floor Starbucks.
The rodents in this case are roof rats. The roof rat population in the area has grown significantly over the past decade, with local pest control companies reporting the rats are now customers’ top complaint.
Hospitals Are Energy Super-Users. Why Is It So Hard to Modernize Them?
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bangor Officially Opens
Early Entry: Manager's Critical Role in Construction Planning
The Evolution of Lighting in Patient Care
HealthPartners and Essentia Health to Combine Organizations