Hat tip Carol@SC
Bethel drill will test area emergency flu response
<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->By Robert Miller Staff Writer
<!--date-->Article Last Updated: 04/04/2008 06:11:49 AM EDT
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BETHEL -- Sooner or later a virus spreading quickly around the world will make millions of people very sick in a short period of time.
It might be the bird flu percolating in Asia right now. It might be something unknown.
But given the adaptability of flu bugs, and the ease of world travel, something will catch fire.
"We're not talking about what if," said Norma Gyle, of New Fairfield, the state's deputy commissioner of public health. "We're talking about when."
When it happens, every hospital, every pharmacy, every pool of doctors and nurses will suddenly find there is not enough of anything to go around -- not enough beds, not enough drugs, not enough bandages and not enough people.
"I say it's the three S's," said Dr. Gregory Dworkin, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Danbury Hospital. "Staff, space and stuff."
On Saturday, the region will have a chance to see how it responds to a pandemic flu in real time, with a mock flu pandemic drill at Bethel Health Care Center. It may be the first community-wide drill held in the United States to deal with pandemic flu, Dworkin said.
"I can go to Washington, D.C., (and discuss) this, but unless you bring it home, it doesn't do any good," Dworkin said.
The state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has given the region a mobile field hospital, which will get its first use during the drill. When it's not standing, the tent-like hospital -- named after 94-year-old Ottile Lundgren, of Oxford,
who died of anthrax poisoning in 2001 -- will be under the care of the city of Danbury. When needed, it will serve a 43-town region covering most of western Connecticut.There will also be staff -- doctors, nurses, physicians' assistants, public health officials, and student nurses from Western Connecticut State University.
"You can build a field shelter," said Dr. Catherine Rice, associate professor of nursing at WestConn. "but who will be in the hospital, delivering care? It will be nurses."
During Saturday morning's drill, people will start showing up at the field hospital complaining of flu-like symptoms. Some will be mildly ill. Some will be near death.
The staff at the field hospital will perform triage, or sort out the cases. The sickest will be taken to one section of the hospital, the least ill to another. Workers will have to coordinate care in the hospital and with emergency and public health staff outside.
"Emergencies always come down to the local level," said James Thomas, state commissioner of emergency management and homeland security. "But we know we have to come together to work on community efforts."
Learning the strengths and weaknesses of a region is invaluable, Thomas said, because when a pandemic hits, all resources -- local, state and federal -- will quickly be stretched to the limit.
"You know that it will be three or four days before we get help," Thomas said.
Diane Judson, director of nursing at Bethel Health Care Center and a leader of the Managed Emergency Mass Allocation Consortium -- the 30 towns and organizations that will take part in the drill -- said the events of Sept. 11 showed people weren't ready to deal with a mass medical emergency.
"I had a call the morning of 9/11 asking about bed availability," she said.
With her staff worried about friends and relatives in New York City that morning, she said, it was hard for anyone to focus on what might be needed.
"I began learning how woefully unprepared we were," she said.
Dworkin said Saturday's drill will show how area towns have begun to address those problems.
"Are we ready? No. We are not ready," he said. "But we're going to be able to learn how to make it better. This is a big step forward."
Contact Robert Miller
at bmiller@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3345.
FLU VICTIMS NEEDED To help with the pandemic flu drill at Bethel Health Care on Saturday morning, the consortium running the drill needs volunteers to act like stricken patients.
Volunteers should arrive at Bethel Health Care, 13 Park Lawn Drive, Saturday about 9:30 a.m. They will be given a scenario to play -- sometimes exhibiting mild symptoms, sometimes near death.
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. Those younger than 16 must have a parent or guardian on site at all times.
The drill will end promptly at noon. High school students can use the volunteer time to help fulfill community service requirements.
For information, call the Bethel Health Department at (203) 794-8539 or e-mail the department at kelleyn@betheltownhall.org.
Bethel drill will test area emergency flu response
<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->By Robert Miller Staff Writer
<!--date-->Article Last Updated: 04/04/2008 06:11:49 AM EDT
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BETHEL -- Sooner or later a virus spreading quickly around the world will make millions of people very sick in a short period of time.
It might be the bird flu percolating in Asia right now. It might be something unknown.
But given the adaptability of flu bugs, and the ease of world travel, something will catch fire.
"We're not talking about what if," said Norma Gyle, of New Fairfield, the state's deputy commissioner of public health. "We're talking about when."
When it happens, every hospital, every pharmacy, every pool of doctors and nurses will suddenly find there is not enough of anything to go around -- not enough beds, not enough drugs, not enough bandages and not enough people.
"I say it's the three S's," said Dr. Gregory Dworkin, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Danbury Hospital. "Staff, space and stuff."
On Saturday, the region will have a chance to see how it responds to a pandemic flu in real time, with a mock flu pandemic drill at Bethel Health Care Center. It may be the first community-wide drill held in the United States to deal with pandemic flu, Dworkin said.
"I can go to Washington, D.C., (and discuss) this, but unless you bring it home, it doesn't do any good," Dworkin said.
The state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has given the region a mobile field hospital, which will get its first use during the drill. When it's not standing, the tent-like hospital -- named after 94-year-old Ottile Lundgren, of Oxford,
who died of anthrax poisoning in 2001 -- will be under the care of the city of Danbury. When needed, it will serve a 43-town region covering most of western Connecticut.There will also be staff -- doctors, nurses, physicians' assistants, public health officials, and student nurses from Western Connecticut State University.
"You can build a field shelter," said Dr. Catherine Rice, associate professor of nursing at WestConn. "but who will be in the hospital, delivering care? It will be nurses."
During Saturday morning's drill, people will start showing up at the field hospital complaining of flu-like symptoms. Some will be mildly ill. Some will be near death.
The staff at the field hospital will perform triage, or sort out the cases. The sickest will be taken to one section of the hospital, the least ill to another. Workers will have to coordinate care in the hospital and with emergency and public health staff outside.
"Emergencies always come down to the local level," said James Thomas, state commissioner of emergency management and homeland security. "But we know we have to come together to work on community efforts."
Learning the strengths and weaknesses of a region is invaluable, Thomas said, because when a pandemic hits, all resources -- local, state and federal -- will quickly be stretched to the limit.
"You know that it will be three or four days before we get help," Thomas said.
Diane Judson, director of nursing at Bethel Health Care Center and a leader of the Managed Emergency Mass Allocation Consortium -- the 30 towns and organizations that will take part in the drill -- said the events of Sept. 11 showed people weren't ready to deal with a mass medical emergency.
"I had a call the morning of 9/11 asking about bed availability," she said.
With her staff worried about friends and relatives in New York City that morning, she said, it was hard for anyone to focus on what might be needed.
"I began learning how woefully unprepared we were," she said.
Dworkin said Saturday's drill will show how area towns have begun to address those problems.
"Are we ready? No. We are not ready," he said. "But we're going to be able to learn how to make it better. This is a big step forward."
Contact Robert Miller
at bmiller@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3345.
FLU VICTIMS NEEDED To help with the pandemic flu drill at Bethel Health Care on Saturday morning, the consortium running the drill needs volunteers to act like stricken patients.
Volunteers should arrive at Bethel Health Care, 13 Park Lawn Drive, Saturday about 9:30 a.m. They will be given a scenario to play -- sometimes exhibiting mild symptoms, sometimes near death.
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. Those younger than 16 must have a parent or guardian on site at all times.
The drill will end promptly at noon. High school students can use the volunteer time to help fulfill community service requirements.
For information, call the Bethel Health Department at (203) 794-8539 or e-mail the department at kelleyn@betheltownhall.org.
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