Ebola

GROSSMONT HOSPITAL SHARES EBOLA READINESS DETAILS

 

 

 

A joint report by East County Magazine and Reporting San Diego

By Miriam Raftery and Nadin Abbott

October 21, 2014 (La Mesa) – How prepared is East County's major hospital to handle an Ebola patient?

We contacted Grossmont Hospital to find out.  Although the risk of this occurring here is considered low by experts, errors in a Dallas hospital's handling of an Ebola patient pointed out the importance of proper planning.  Moreover, a survey published last week by National Nurses United revealed that 85 percent of hospitals had reportedly not provided any training for nurses on Ebola and most are short on equipment for handling a patient with the infectious disease that kills 70% of victims.

We sent a detailed list of questions to Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s director of marketing and communications, Bruce Hartman, on topics such as training and protective equipment for healthcare workers, whether patients are asked about their travel histories, and plans for sanitizing areas where an Ebola patient might have been waiting or treated. He responded with this detailed statement, followed by answers to our questions below.

The Hospital's responses include changes in procedures being made to reflect new guidelines just issued by the federal government, such as providing full protective suits with no skin exposed and training in how to safely remove such gear. Below is the full text of Hartman's response:


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THE NEWS YOU CARE ABOUT: OUR MOST-READ ARTICLES IN THE PAST MONTH

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 14, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- Ever wonder what news stories attract the most interest among our local readers?  We decided to find out, so we looked at the number of readers who clicked open each story for the past month.  The results were surprising. Some major news stories, such as Iraq air strikes, didn’t make the top 20-perhaps because that’s news available everywhere else. What DID get your attention was primarily stories relevant to East County, especially news that you can’t get anywhere else.


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NURSES CALL FOR MANDATORY NATIONAL STANDARDS ON EBOLA, MORE PROTECTIONS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

 

National survey finds 80% of nurses say their hospital has not communicated any policy on Ebola: 2,200 RNs across U.S. say hospitals still lagging

Source: National Nurses Union

October 14, 2014 (Silver Springs, Maryland)--Following news Sunday that the first U.S. nurse has now tested positive for the deadly Ebola virus, National Nurses United called for all hospitals to have in place the highest standard of optimal protections, including Hazmat suits, and hands-on training to protect all RNs, other hospital personnel to confront Ebola.


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DALLAS SENDS EMERGENCY MESSAGE WARNING TO 11,000 RESIDENTS REGARDING EBOLA CASE

 

Latest cases prompt clarification: Ebola can be spread by sneezing, coughing to people 3 to 6 feet away

(Photo: European Commission DG ECHO/Flickr/Creative Commons)

By Miriam Raftery

October 2, 2014 (Dallas)--The first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S. occurred this week in Texas, where the patient was initially sent home from a hospital.  A search is underway for about 100 people in the Dallas area who may have been exposed to the Ebola patient, who had traveled here from Liberia.  Dallas officials sent a reverse emergency call to 11,000 area residents to warn them about the situation, including parents at four schools  where several exposed children attended class. Four family members have now been placed in quarantine:  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/texas-Ebola-patients-contacts-now-reach-100/story?id=25912405   United Airlines has also contacted patients who were onboard the flight, though it is not believed the patient was contagious yet while on board.


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SCIENCE AND HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS


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SCIENCE AND HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS

 

August 30, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)-- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

TECH

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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EBOLA DRUG SAVING LIVES OF STRICKEN DOCTORS WAS DEVELOPED IN SAN DIEGO

 

August 5, 2014 (San Diego)--An ebola outbreak has killed nearly 900 people in West Africa and stricken more than 1,600.  Left untreated,  about 90% of  patients with the ebola virus have died – and until recently, there was no known treatment or cure.


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