USA Health participates in regional Ebola drill

USA Health University Hospital was among 32 hospitals in six Southern states that recently participated in a regional Ebola drill coordinated through the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Serious Infection Disease Network.

University Hospital is one of three assessment facilities in Alabama equipped to handle patients with special infectious diseases. “This is the first time we have conducted a drill actually activating discharge to transport the patient through our system,” said Teresa Aikens, R.N., USA Health nurse manager for infectious control.

The drill started with a patient-actor pretending to have Ebola going to one of the Mobile County Health Department clinics. The clinic then notified USA Health and began the transportation process to University Hospital, the region’s only academic medical center.

After the patient was successfully transported to University Hospital, he was admitted to the Special Infectious Disease Unit (SIDU). “We are responsible for the care of the patient for up to 96 hours after admission,” Aikens said.

USA Health must retrieve and transfer a blood specimen to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to confirm if a patient has Ebola. Once the testing is done and the patient is confirmed to have the disease, a decision is made to transport the patient to Emory Hospital in Atlanta.

USA Health has performed drills in recent years to talk through the process, but this was the first time that hospital staff performed a drill with a patient-actor being admitted to the SIDU.

“The drill tested our capabilities as an academic medical center as well as our ability to provide the region’s highest level of care for patients with severe illnesses,” said Sam Dean, administrator for University Hospital. “I am proud of everyone’s performance. We will use this opportunity to learn and improve our coordination with collaborating agencies.”