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Oct 10, 2014 8:20 PM by Amanda Starrantino
The threat of Ebola in America has raised questions in communities all over the country. Local hospitals are preparing for the worst.
Twin Cities Community Hospital had a tabletop discussion on Ebola prep with department heads. With international travels coming in and out of the area, officials of the hospital are taking action now.
'We live in a well-known wine region here,' says Chief Executive Officer, Mark Lisa. 'There is always the possibility, we never discount the possibility of something occurring, so it is always good to be prepared.'
Infectious disease is nothing new, but Ebola is the new topic of discussion.
Hospitals are putting education of the virus at the top of the list.
Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center is preparing staff. In doing so, they are on high alert for specific travel histories.
'It is pretty specific to Ebola,' says Claire Granthan, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Registered Nurse, regarding an Ebola poster. 'It talks about travel history for the last three weeks, and it lists the West African countries, and if you have a fever let the staff know immediately.'
However, Granthan says the chance of Ebola on the Central Coast is very small. And people need to trust that their hospital is prepared.
'People need to be prepared by living their normal life, they need to be concerned only if they come in contact with someone who has traveled in one of these four countries in the last 21 days so the odds of that are very slim,' says Granthan. 'Those of us in the hospital are being prepared on the off chance if one of those people might walk in to our emergency department.'
Hospital officials say they are always aware of infectious disease and measures are always taking place. Other diseases like tuberculosis, HIV, and Valley Fever, all include similar isolation processes. And Ebola is something they say they are ready for if someone is diagnosed.
If an area hospital does diagnose a patient with Ebola, the county health officials and the CDC will be contacted immediately. They hospital will then follow a specific protocol to handle the situation.
