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Island hospital faces challenges in planning for pandemics

Nurse Leader Weekly, November 27, 2006

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Thirty miles off the coast of Massachusetts sits Nantucket Cottage Hospital-the only hospital on the island of Nantucket. When it comes to planning for pandemics and other medical emergencies, the facility faces more challenges than most, due to its isolated location.

However, Jane Bonvini, director of nursing at the facility, says she was seriously planning for disasters long before the September 11 terrorist attacks or the discovery of the H5N1 avian flu virus.

Bonvini outlined some of the issues and actions unique to isolated hospitals that she needed to consider in developing emergency management plans, from stocking extra supplies to working closely with local and state agencies.

The following are tips that Bonvini has incorporated in her plans:

• Develop a common language. Typically, various government agencies have their own lingo or jargon. Because of this, it was important that Bonvini and the representatives from various groups involved in emergency planning devise a common language to be used for emergencies.

  Everyone who will be involved in an emergency has been trained in the incident command system, Bonvini says. The system provides a standard way of communicating throughout a hospital organization and other organizations, using standard language and a format.

• Designate job responsibilities. The group also created a job action sheet to delineate duties for each role, with a list of items that the person in that role needs to accomplish. Leaders are designated for each job function.

• Ensure adequate medical supplies. Because of its isolated location, the hospital must keep extra supplies on hand in case of a pandemic or other emergency. To prepare, Bonvini has stocked specific supplies (e.g., masks, gloves, medications, and other items).

• Provide enough training and drills. Training is key when it comes to planning for pandemics and other emergencies. Nantucket Cottage Hospital conducts emergency drills with the fire department, which it has done annually for the last six years, to ensure that all new employees are included, Bonvini says.

• Know who to call. For isolated hospitals, knowing who your contacts will be during emergencies is key to successful planning, Bonvini says. She attends meetings regularly in the region and says that seeing those contacts face-to-face is helpful.

Editor's note: This excerpt was adapted from Briefings on Infection Control, December 2006, HCPro, Inc.

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