St. Francis medical records deadline near

It's the last call for those seeking medical records from the defunct St. Francis Health System.

All remaining medical records -- several thousand cubic feet of documents -- will be destroyed beginning Oct. 15, said Michelle Mahoney, spokeswoman for Iron Mountain Inc. Requests for release of records must be received at the records management company's South Side office by Oct. 12.

St. Francis ceased operations in 2002, two years after closing its central hospital near Mellon Arena. St. Francis Medical Center in Lawrenceville is the site of the under-construction Children's Hospital, while St. Francis Cranberry is now UPMC Passavant Cranberry.

Among the records to be destroyed:

• General medical records from 1996 through 2002;

• Pediatric files from 1982 through 2002;

• Radiology films from 1997 through 2000;

• Mammograms, bone scans and cardiology X-rays from 1997 through 2002.

Those seeking medical records must submit a written authorization, which may be found online or by calling 412-481-4134. Cost is $25 per request.

Requests and payments should be sent to: Iron Mountain, 1739 E. Carson St., Suite 362, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. Authorizations for release must be postmarked by Oct. 8.