PREPAREDNESS PAID
Here’s Taking A Look Behind The Scenes As Our Hospitals Handled Swine Flu Scare

Cape Cod Healthcare found itself in the middle of a global pandemic alert in late April and early May, with two of the state’s earliest confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu having visited Cape Cod and Falmouth Hospitals for initial treatment of symptoms.

News of the two confirmed cases hit the media over the May 2 weekend, which touched off a flurry of telephone calls to the two hospital Emergency Centers from the “worried well” population. Both Centers also saw increased traffic from symptomatic people. Labs at both hospitals were also slammed with requests to process tests for state lab evaluation for H1N1.

The virus, at first thought to be fairly virulent based on several deaths of young adults in Mexico, has turned out to be relatively mild. But the scare served as a way to test the CCHC Epidemic/Bio Terrorism Response Plan. Led by Dr. Alan Sugar, Medical Director of Infection Control for CCHC, and Gigi Dash, Director of Infection Control, the team jumped into action as soon as the pandemic alert was received. The CCHC Plan was reviewed and a variety of departments, such as nursing, materials management, infection control, security, occupational health, human resources, marketing, telecommunications and IT tested equipment, supplies, and duties.

At both hospitals, isolation tents were tested and supplies were counted. Cough etiquette signs were placed in prominent spots throughout CCHC facilities. A microbiology database of patients who were tested, including their travel history, was created (and has been maintained), and Telecommunications Director Paul Wills set up a public Flu Hotline with recorded information. (Dr. Sugar says the line may be maintained throughout the year as a way to educate about various infectious diseases.)

Ms. Dash held regular conference calls with key players at the hospitals, stayed in touch with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for updates and advisories and kept abreast of the latest Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization information.

Dr. Sugar sent an evaluation plan to doctors inside and outside of the hospitals, advising them to use three criteria for deciding whether to test for H1N1: high fever, severe respiratory illness and history of recent travel.

The 25-member CCHC Epidemic Response Team met on May 6 at CCH and reviewed the system’s preparedness. The response was “about the smoothest I’ve ever seen it go,” Dr. Sugar said. “We’ve learned a lot since we put together this multi-disciplinary approach.”

Both Dr. Sugar and Ms. Dash are wary of a second wave of H1N1 in the fall, which may carry a stronger form of the virus along with the regular seasonal flu virus. But, thanks to their recent experience, Dr. Sugar is confident, “We should be well prepared.”