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Source: http://www.prairiepost.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3064&Itemid=27
Chinook Health conducts emergency preparedness trial
Written by Susan Quinlan
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Prairie Post
Chinook Health
Chinook Health undertook a trial run of its pandemic plan ? Operation Hot Shot ? intending to immunize 6,000 people in a single day Oct. 8, but ultimately exceeding that number by 600.
In a press release, Dr. Vanessa Maclean, senior medical director of acute care for Chinook Health, said the medical team was thrilled with the turn out for the event.
?Without this support, we wouldn?t have been able to experience what it felt like to immunize that many people in one day and to practice our pandemic plan ... We learned a lot today.?
Maclean said although wait times were occasionally much longer than planned, staffing adjustments were made to try and better accommodate clients.
Bill Willows, an area senior, said he and his wife waited about an hour for their shots and thought overall, the event was well-organized, but could be improved in a couple of ways.
?The wait was way too long for the little kids. There should have been a separate area for them and their parents, where they could play,? said Willows.
Willows also thought organizers could have called
25 numbers at a time, for people to go to the nurses for their shots, instead of calling just 10, as many people had left. However, he adds when he and his wife arrived their numbers were in the 400s and the 100s were being called, so getting ?to the front of the line? in just one hour was probably fairly quick.
Diane Shaw, director of wellness and community health for Chinook Health, said the trial run was essential; although everything looked good on paper the practice helped identify any glitches.
?After today, we?ll debrief, bring everyone together? to find out what went right, and what could use a bit more attention.
Shaw said an observer was stationed at each of the three immunization sites, including Lethbridge, Taber and Pincher Creek, and his task was to track ?door-to-needle? time.
?There are lots of things that really become evident after you take it off the paper. They?re the details that don?t get addressed until you actually do it.?
With the main pavilion at Lethbridge?s Exhibition Pavilion packed around noon hour, Shaw couldn?t have been happier.
?We?ve been absolutely thrilled that people have come out and supported us both in terms of helping with the operation, and in becoming immunized against the flu ... Without community support, we couldn?t test the plan.?
Shaw estimated in addition to the region?s nursing staff and student nurses from the university and college, there were about 40 volunteers at each site helping people with paperwork and managing the flow.
One of the primary objectives of the trial run was to focus on flow, with the hope clients could move from registration through to the flu shot within 20 minutes.
At midday at the Lethbridge site, in a packed house, it was taking between 20 and 55 minutes to complete the process.
Once the evaluation of the emergency preparedness plan is completed, results will be shared provincially with all other health regions that have pandemic plans and may benefit from Chinook?s experience.
Chinook Health will use this exercise as an opportunity to more clearly understand what it takes to operationalize such a large-scale immunization, and will subsequently refine its current pandemic plan.
According to Chinook Health, the threat of pandemic influenza is real. The time between each
of the last four influenza pandemics has ranged from
11 to 39 years, and it has now been more than 35 years since the last outbreak.
Influenza is described as a serious respiratory infection. Complications of that illness can lead to death in certain groups including the elderly and young children.
Chinook Health?s regular influenza immunization program will continue in communities from Oct. 15
to Dec. 8.
For information about flu clinics in your area, visit Chinook Health?s website at http://www.chr.ab.ca and click on the influenza immunization link.
Chinook Health conducts emergency preparedness trial
Written by Susan Quinlan
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Prairie Post
Chinook Health
Chinook Health undertook a trial run of its pandemic plan ? Operation Hot Shot ? intending to immunize 6,000 people in a single day Oct. 8, but ultimately exceeding that number by 600.
In a press release, Dr. Vanessa Maclean, senior medical director of acute care for Chinook Health, said the medical team was thrilled with the turn out for the event.
?Without this support, we wouldn?t have been able to experience what it felt like to immunize that many people in one day and to practice our pandemic plan ... We learned a lot today.?
Maclean said although wait times were occasionally much longer than planned, staffing adjustments were made to try and better accommodate clients.
Bill Willows, an area senior, said he and his wife waited about an hour for their shots and thought overall, the event was well-organized, but could be improved in a couple of ways.
?The wait was way too long for the little kids. There should have been a separate area for them and their parents, where they could play,? said Willows.
Willows also thought organizers could have called
25 numbers at a time, for people to go to the nurses for their shots, instead of calling just 10, as many people had left. However, he adds when he and his wife arrived their numbers were in the 400s and the 100s were being called, so getting ?to the front of the line? in just one hour was probably fairly quick.
Diane Shaw, director of wellness and community health for Chinook Health, said the trial run was essential; although everything looked good on paper the practice helped identify any glitches.
?After today, we?ll debrief, bring everyone together? to find out what went right, and what could use a bit more attention.
Shaw said an observer was stationed at each of the three immunization sites, including Lethbridge, Taber and Pincher Creek, and his task was to track ?door-to-needle? time.
?There are lots of things that really become evident after you take it off the paper. They?re the details that don?t get addressed until you actually do it.?
With the main pavilion at Lethbridge?s Exhibition Pavilion packed around noon hour, Shaw couldn?t have been happier.
?We?ve been absolutely thrilled that people have come out and supported us both in terms of helping with the operation, and in becoming immunized against the flu ... Without community support, we couldn?t test the plan.?
Shaw estimated in addition to the region?s nursing staff and student nurses from the university and college, there were about 40 volunteers at each site helping people with paperwork and managing the flow.
One of the primary objectives of the trial run was to focus on flow, with the hope clients could move from registration through to the flu shot within 20 minutes.
At midday at the Lethbridge site, in a packed house, it was taking between 20 and 55 minutes to complete the process.
Once the evaluation of the emergency preparedness plan is completed, results will be shared provincially with all other health regions that have pandemic plans and may benefit from Chinook?s experience.
Chinook Health will use this exercise as an opportunity to more clearly understand what it takes to operationalize such a large-scale immunization, and will subsequently refine its current pandemic plan.
According to Chinook Health, the threat of pandemic influenza is real. The time between each
of the last four influenza pandemics has ranged from
11 to 39 years, and it has now been more than 35 years since the last outbreak.
Influenza is described as a serious respiratory infection. Complications of that illness can lead to death in certain groups including the elderly and young children.
Chinook Health?s regular influenza immunization program will continue in communities from Oct. 15
to Dec. 8.
For information about flu clinics in your area, visit Chinook Health?s website at http://www.chr.ab.ca and click on the influenza immunization link.