Photo by Medill DC

Officials at one D.C.’s most prominent trauma hospitals say they have been contending with repeated sewage and water leaks inside its operating rooms as well as the exit of hundreds of nurses.

Medstar Washington Hospital in Northwest is also facing a slew of other safety concerns, according to staff accounts told to USA Today.

The D.C. Department of Health has conducted a complaint investigation at the hospital, and officials are in the process of reviewing the findings.

In the past six months, Medstar’s “team addressed recent leaks at the hospital immediately, following our robust protocols,” according to a statement provided by hospital spokesperson So Young Pak. The areas were cleaned, sterilized, and inspected by an outside hygienist “to ensure that they were safe for patient care,” the statement says.

One such leak occurred in the room where Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise had his last surgery after being shot at a congressional baseball practice in June, according to a USA Today investigation that included interviews with doctors and nurses and a review of hospital records. The room reportedly had to be closed for sterilization two days after Scalise’ operation.

Chief medical officer Gregory Argyros told USA Today that two of five sewage leaks this year occurred in operating rooms while patients were being treated. He said families were made aware of the situation and patients were monitored for infections.

“Our patients were never put at risk due to recent leaks,” the hospital statement says.

USA Today reports the Department of Health is investigating the leaks. DOH spokesperson Jasmine Gossett told DCist that the department has conducted a complaint investigation, but declined to confirm the nature of the complaint because the investigation process is still underway. Gosset said that the health department has also conducted a routine licensure survey, and results from both investigations will be released to the public after they conclude.

With a 60-year history, the center is “the most important hospital in the most important city in the most important country in the world,” Argyros told USA Today. The 912-bed teaching and research hospital has earned Level I Trauma Center status by the American College of Surgeons. Physicians frequently treat political officials and everyday Washingtonians alike for serious injuries.

Among other concerns, USA Today reports that 400 nurses out of 1,780 left the hospital last year, about a 22 percent turnover rate, according to data from the National Nurses United, which represents them.

The hospital contends that the nurse turnover rate was actually 14 percent this year, which is “comparable to other academic medical centers nationwide.”

USA Today also reports that staffers use portable fans to eliminate strong “porta potty” odors in operating rooms and insects routinely land on patients’ open wounds. Additionally, the publication found that the hospital has high rates of infection and complications, including four foreign objects being left inside patients bodies.

Hospital spokesperson Pak did not respond to questions about that set of allegations.

“We are committed to the highest quality, safest care for every patient who comes through our doors and have an intensive program in place to quickly identify and correct problems,” the statement says.