The other issue came to light June 29, when radiation oncology staff determined a problem with the length of a transfer tube that was “2.9 centimeters longer than the vendor’s specifications,” according to the Associated Press.

This may have led to underdosing. Salem Health has, in fact, uncovered two such treatment shortfalls, on May 13 and June 22, “and is putting together a list of all cases since the last tube measurement in 2020,” according to AP.

“It would be premature to discuss this event, as Salem Health is investigating the change in the tube as well as the time frame,” Wood said. “While our investigation is still in process, our physicists have updated the safety protocol to ensure the tube is correctly sized before every treatment.”

Salem Hospital was last in the news in late July, remaining for over a year at 100% capacity, and forced to divert ambulances for the first time, according to the Journal.

“There are limits to our capacity, and we are addressing the root causes of high capacity through a number of tools,” Wood said, according to the paper.

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