Newman Regional Health is planning to conduct a multi-agency emergency exercise Thursday to ensure staff members are well prepared in the event of a high consequence pathogen emergency.
The event will include hospital officials, Lyon County Emergency personnel and officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Thursday’s event will feature a mock exercise involving an Ebola patient. Newman Regional Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Jordan Hartman explains what some of the activities will entail.
Lyon County EMS will be transporting the test patient, contacting the hospital, who will set up an isolation room. The Flint Hills Community Health Center will test out its equipment and KDHE will be involved to test its response efforts collecting labs. Lyon County Emergency Management will coordinate a public information booth and local media including KVOE and the Emporia Gazette will participate from that aspect. Hartman says none of this exercise will impact day-to-day operations at the hospital.
Hartman says a large emergency event takes the entire hospital working together with local agencies to ensure the best possible outcome.
