Mount Auburn Hospital
Policy/Category Title: Safety/ Emergency Preparedness
Subject: TELEPHONE SYSTEM FAILURE PLAN
Policy No: 4G
Page 1 of 3
TELEPHONE SYSTEM FAILURE
If the telephone system "crashes" due to a CPU or power failure (power failure is
not likely as the system is on battery backup and an emergency generator), the
hospital operator shall:

Overhead page "The telephone system is out of service. To reach the
hospital operator for EMERGENCIES ONLY, call 617-492-6011 from
any pay phone." (Repeat every few minutes.)

Flip the switch the “DEES” units on the wall behind the Switchboard
from “NORMAL” to “BYPASS” to enable the power failure backup
phones around the hospital.

Notify the Telecommunications director/supervisor. If unable to reach,
call the vendor, and report the emergency.

Notify Protection Services through the radio to distribute radios to the
Operating Room, Labor and Delivery, ED, SICU, Laboratory, Blood
Bank, Nursing Supervisor and Radiology (which do not have pay
phones).

Notify the administrator on call. If off shift, notify Nursing Supervisor
on-call and keep him/her informed.
Only lines and equipment that bypass the main telephone system will remain
operational. The hospital operators have one line (617-492-6011), one radio,
and backup systems to overhead page, and activate pagers to call the one line.
Code Blue (formerly Code 99) pagers remain operational. All Codes (Blue, Red,
Pink, etc) should be phoned to the operator at 617-492-6011.
In such emergency conditions, there will be three phones in Telecommunications
automatically wired to receive incoming calls from the public dialing the main
number, 617-492-3500, and three for staff to dial out of the hospital. On an offshift, an employee from another department may be requested to answer the
incoming calls.
Departments must use pay phones and radios distributed by Protection Services.
Any Verizon Telephone line independent from the main system can be used; the
Emergency Department and the President's office have such a line. Staff may
Mount Auburn Hospital
Policy/Category Title: Safety/ Emergency Preparedness
Subject: TELEPHONE SYSTEM FAILURE PLAN
Policy No: 4G
Page 2 of 3
also use cell phones within safety guidelines. There are also power failure
phones at many locations (see list at bottom of this procedure) which can place
and or receive urgent calls.
RECOVERY OF FAILURE
Upon recovery, the operator shall:

Flip the switch the “DEES” units on the wall behind the Switchboard
from “BYPASS” to “NORMAL” to enable normal telephone functions at
the switchboard and the power failure backup phones around the
hospital.

Overhead page, "The telephone system is back in service." Wait 2
minutes and repeat this. Wait 2 minutes and repeat a third time.
NOTE: When the telephone system failed, all Call Forwards dropped off. Until
the departments, the hospital telephone technician, or a vendor reactivates the
Call Forwards, the following will not happen:

Patient information calls cannot reach the operator during off-shifts.

Patients calling certain departments cannot reach the answering
service or voice mail instructions to call the page operator for the
required on-call person.
MAH PAY TELEPHONES (INCOMING AND OUTGOING)
Phone #
Outgoing TTY
Only
Equipped
Needham Ground
617-492-9771
x
Needham Lobby
617-576-1621
Location
Mount Auburn Hospital
Policy/Category Title: Safety/ Emergency Preparedness
Subject: TELEPHONE SYSTEM FAILURE PLAN
Policy No: 4G
Page 3 of 3
These phone numbers may be used for EMERGENCY Communication to these
select locations. A reminder to keep conversations brief as these lines need to
remain open as much as possible and capacity is very limited. Note these lines
only function when the main phone system is offline.
If these lines are not functioning and you need to contact these locations for
urgent communication, request at the Switchboard Operator overhead page for
the floor to move to their payphone to receive a call at the payphone numbers
listed above.
Building
Wyman
Wyman
Wyman
Stanton
Stanton
Stanton
Stanton
Stanton
South
South
South
Needham
Needham
Needham
Needham
Needham
Needham
Needham
BUILDING FLOOR DESCRIPTION LINE
Floor
Description
4
Day Surgery
2
Geri Psych
G
SICU desk
6
Nurse Station
5
Nurse Station
4-SICU
CCP-S Nurse Station
4-MICU
CCP-M Nurse Station
3
Nurse Station
5
Nurse station
4
Nurse station
3
Nurse station
8
Nurse station
7
Nurse station
5
Nurse station
4
Step Down Unit
3
Nurse station
G
ED nurse station
G
Protection Service
Line
617-492-8010
617-492-8013
617-492-8014
617-576-3373
617-576-3366
617-492-8014
617-492-8019
617-576-0387
617-492-8023
617-492-8018
617-492-1617
617-576-0580
617-492-5725
617-492-5714
617-492-8015
617-492-1690
617-492-8016
617-492-5815
Revised, 1/11