MRMC prepared in the event of Ebola infections

Mercy Regional Medical Center and Acadian Medical Center will be ready should the Ebola virus ever become an issue in the communities they serve, according to Scott. M. Smith, CEO.
Bruce Ribner of the infectious disease unit at Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, which treated the first two Ebola patents in the USA, says every hospital in the nation needs to be prepared to diagnose and treat patients with Ebola.
The virus is spread through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected, symptomatic person or by exposure to objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with infected secretions.
Ebola is not spread through food or water, nor is it transmitted through the air.
Smith said Mercy Regional Medical Center and Acadian Medical Center are working closely with the State of Louisiana-Department of Health and Hospitals (Office of Public Health) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure they are prepared with the appropriate plans to detect, protect and respond should anyone in our community contract or be exposed to the Ebola virus.
“While we have not treated any patients with Ebola at our hospital, and there have been no confirmed cases in Louisiana, out of an abundance of caution, Mercy Regional Medical Center and Acadian Medical Center have taken the following measures to prepare:
“Triage and admission assessments have been revised to include questions regarding travel to high risk areas, as well as recent contact with people from those areas.
“Stop signs have been placed at entrances asking anyone who has a fever and has traveled outside the country, or who has had exposure to an international traveler to notify staff.
“Dedicated isolation rooms have been designated for patients who may have been exposed to Ebola and protective gear has been provided for our employees.
“Mercy Regional Medical Center and Acadian Medical Center staff are trained and prepared to manage outbreaks of viruses and infectious diseases, including Ebola.
“We want to assure the community that we are taking the appropriate precautionary measures to keep our employees, visitors, and community safe and prevent the spread of this virus.”