Lake Regional, emergency responders prepare for unlikely appearance of Ebola

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. -- As the nation's strategy to address the Ebola virus continues to evolve, Lake Regional Health System is taking steps to protect its patients and employees. The health system recently hosted meetings with area fire and police officials and EMS providers to ensure protocols are in place to safely evaluate and treat anyone who might have the Ebola virus.

"We have extensive experience with emergency preparedness, and our teams frequently practice scenarios with our city and county partners," said Paul Harris, emergency preparedness coordinator at Lake Regional Health System. "We are applying this training and lessons learned from the Dallas response to the Ebola virus to ensure our community is prepared."

Harris said emergency personnel apply the same principles whether the community is facing Ebola, or a more likely scenario, a flu outbreak. However, until the United States is clear of the Ebola virus, there will be an increased level of diligence locally to identify high-risk patients.

The Sunrise Beach and Osage Beach Fire Protection Districts were two of the local first response teams that took part in the preparedness discussion with Lake Regional.

Sunrise Beach Fire Chief Dennis Reilly said the Ebola situation has "top priority" status with his department.

"I think the probably of encountering a case of Ebola is extremely unlikely, but I do not want to wait until the crisis presents itself," he said.

Osage Beach Fire Chief Jeff Dorhauer concurred with Reilly that the chance of the Ebola virus reaching the Lake Area is extremely remote.

"Nevertheless, we want to be prepared for all contingencies," Dorhauer said, "just as we were with the N1H1 virus a few years ago and as we prepared ourselves to deal with the anthrax scare following the 9/11 terrorist attacks."

Dorhauer said his department and others participating in the Ebola preparedness program will follow the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control in handling all cases that display the same symptoms as the Ebola virus.

Lake Regional officials said dispatchers throughout the lake area will begin asking callers complaining of respiratory symptoms and fever a series of questions about communicable disease. The same questions are asked of all Lake Regional emergency and clinic patients. They include:

• Have you traveled outside the United States within the past two weeks? If so, where?

• Have you traveled outside the Midwest in the past two weeks? If so, where?

• Have you had contact with someone who is ill and has recently traveled to an area known to be at risk for communicable disease?

"Don't be alarmed if you see first responders using precautions, such as personal protective equipment, when they respond to a call," Harris said. "This includes gloves, masks and eye protection. First responders and EMS personnel also might ask patients with respiratory issues to wear a mask during treatment and transport."

Record will be kept of who responds to a scene, and protocols are set for disposing of used personal protective equipment.

"Developing a unified response to this scenario increases the safety of everyone involved, including our community as a whole," Harris said.

In addition to working with local agencies, Lake Regional is actively engaged in preparedness efforts and working to educate patient care providers at all of its locations.

"We are following all recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning personal protective equipment and standards for early detection and care of Ebola," said Alan Wilson, M.D., Emergency Department medical director at Lake Regional.

According to Wilson, the hospital has established a designated Ebola response team. Ongoing training for this team includes patient procedures and equipment protocols necessary to protect the patient, caregiver and community.

Infectious disease specialists, including Lake Rgional infection preventionist Jim Howard, RN, CIC, are continually communicating with county and state public health experts and monitoring updates issued by the CDC.

"It's important to remember there's no need to panic," Howard said. "Ebola is not airborne, and the virus only spreads when people are sick."

Symptoms can appear from two to 21 days after exposure. They include:

• Fever

• Headache

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Stomach pain

• Unexplained bleeding or bruising

• Muscle pain

"The CDC has 40 years of experience studying Ebola and has determined that after 21 days, if an exposed person does not develop symptoms, they will not become sick with Ebola," Howard said.

To learn more about the Ebola virus, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, cdc.gov.

Other emergency responding units working with Lake Regional in Ebola preparations are the Lake Ozark, Mid County and Gravois Fire Protection Districts as well as the Camdenton City Fire Department and several local ambulance services.