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The emergency room nurses were unaware of the drill.
In the drill, a patient with a cough and general malaise presented to the Emergency Department at Putnam Hospital Center for treatment. Her husband, she said, had recently returned from a trip to Africa.
Nurses promptly put a mask on the patient and whisked her into a screening room, isolating her from the rest of the population, which was the appropriate response. “My focus is ensuring that we are prepared at a preliminary level,” said Patricia Greenwood-O’Keefe, the hospital’s director of critical care services and emergency management coordinator. “We will continue to monitor and provide ongoing education to the staff.” The global pandemic that recently arrived to the U.S., claiming the life of a Liberian man in Texas, has Putnam Hospital Center on high alert in the event they encounter an Ebola patient. There have been no suspected cases at the hospital. Nevertheless, the Emergency Department at Putnam Hospital Center has received training and education on managing these patients.
Following the drill, management from various hospital departments as well as the commissioner for Putnam County’s Bureau of Fire & Emergency Services convened to discuss the effectiveness of the practices and procedures in place at Putnam Hospital Center. The hospital also partners with the Putnam County Department of Health on how to safely respond to infection control issues and disease surveillance. The group further discussed ways to improve overall safety including purchasing more coverall gowns and placing masks in key areas of the hospital. More meetings are expected. Signs to educate the public on symptoms to look out were posted at the hospital’s entrance points on Friday.
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