How all three emergency departments stand guard against the unknown
The top-notch medical professionals who keep watch at Tanner Health System’s three emergency departments know that an unexpected emergency situation can happen at any time.
The real and potential disasters we’ve witnessed in the last decade—such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the threat of H1N1 influenza and the earthquakes of 2010—remind us of the nature of emergencies. Some give warning, like the storm that comes before a flood. Others, like earthquakes, offer no warning.
Once a disaster happens, the time to prepare is gone.
For Tanner, maintaining a strong disaster response is a key priority. As Lowell Hardin, director of the Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton Emergency Department, states, “Our patients and our quality of care are our No. 1 concern.”
Disaster training and exercises keep Tanner prepared
Regardless of whether an emergency situation is caused by a natural catastrophe, an act of terrorism or an emerging infectious disease, Tanner Health System knows that the best way to prepare for such an event is continuous training, education and credentialing of emergency care professionals.
So no matter what the situation, we are staffed with a medical workforce that is consistently and regularly trained to be effective in any real emergency that might occur.
Staff members at one or more of Tanner’s facilities are trained in:
- Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS)
- Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS)
- National Disaster Life Support Foundation (NDLSF)- Decontamination and Decontamination Team Leader
- Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 300, and 400
- National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- Blast and burn injuries
We participate in community-wide exercises that simulate a disaster
In addition to training, each Tanner facility participates in exercises that are evaluated by Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)—certified evaluators. Examples of these community-wide exercises include scenarios for tornadoes and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Each location conducts valuable drills
Each individual Tanner facility conducts emergency drills throughout the year. Possible scenarios for these drills might include decontamination/mass decontamination, infant/child abduction, severe weather, and fire/evacuation. Our performance in these drills is evaluated using emergency management standards developed by The Joint Commission.
Each Tanner location is committed to doing everything necessary to keep our community safe and healthy, no matter what occurs at our doorsteps.
Our supplies and equipment stand ready
The federal Department of Homeland Security and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency have provided hospitals with funding to purchase necessary equipment and supplies. Through these grants, Tanner has purchased hazardous materials suits, powered air-purifying respirators, additional personal protective equipment and a decontamination shelter.
Each Tanner facility maintains supplies and equipment to respond to all bio-hazards. For example, Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton and Higgins General Hospital maintain tents for mass decontamination. Both Higgins General Hospital and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica have decontamination rooms built into their emergency departments for individual decontamination.
Tanner takes a proactive role
When an emergency event occurs, it could strike fear in the hearts of west Georgia residents. By taking an active role—such as Tanner did during the H1N1 influenza outbreak by keeping the community informed via its Web site and media contacts—Tanner is able to keep the community informed and prevent panic.
Tanner Health System knows that the continuous training, education and credentialing of our emergency care professionals is the best way to prepare for a potential disaster. As a result, we are staffed with a medical workforce that is ready to be effective—no matter what might occur.