Memorial Hospital of Chester participated in an Emergency Management Drill on Thursday, April 25th. The mock emergency was a tornado that had hit multiple facilities in Randolph County resulting in mass injuries and a couple fatalities. A drill of this size involves staff from all departments reporting to their designated locations to receive their assignments and instructions and to perform specific tasks to aid in the coordination of the large-scale event. The designated emergency management staff reported to the command center to begin organizing the emergency, contacting additional resources if needed, and establishing communications between all departments.
Georgia Allen, Emergency Management Coordinator for Memorial Hospital, organized the multi-department drill with Steeleville Family Practice, Chester Clinic, the Therapy and Sports Rehab Center, and the Dialysis Center. Patients arrived at Memorial through the Main Entrance and were met by a team and triage physician to make sure they were sent to the correct department for treatment of the severity of their injuries. Multiple observers placed in various areas took note of aspects of the drill that flowed seamlessly and areas where additional tools or assistance may be helpful. Yvonne Vieregge, a representative from the Randolph County Health Department participated in observing and critiquing the drill as well. The drill lasted approximately 1 hour with an “all clear” being called once the ER was back to normal patient capacity.
Overall, all departments worked well together, knew their rolls and assignments, and were eager to help where needed. Brett Bollmann, CEO, stated that, “Memorial uses drills such as this to better prepare the staff for an emergency that may require some to fill roles that they do not perform on a daily basis. By practicing for real world emergencies, Memorial is preparing their staff to be ready for anything at a moment’s notice.”