With the Ebola outbreak being a concern on many people’s minds, staff at Genesis Health Systems confirmed that they are prepared in case an Ebola patient should ever be sent to one of their hospitals.
On Friday, October 10, 2014 employees at the hospital gave a tour of the preparations they have for infectious patients. They showed their isolation rooms, incident carts, and personal protection equipment.
The staff said whether it’s Ebola, or other diseases more likely to affect the Quad Cities, they are prepared.
“The precautions that are recommended are the precautions that we use every single day for influenza, for infected wounds, for pertussis,” said Infection Prevention Coordinator Lisa Caffery. “There’s just multiple things and they’re all based on CDC guidelines.”
Caffery reiterated that the materials, processes and personal protective equipment- such as gowns, gloves, face masks, shoe covers, etc.- are the same things used “every single day.”
The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has offered Genesis specific protocols in the event of an Ebola patient being admitted. Caffery said the staff has been conducting drills, and will continue education on these processes in the coming week.