Hospitals Prepare for Irene`s Arrival
--
Aug. 26--The region's hospitals were gearing up Thursday for Hurricane Irene's arrival, putting emergency management procedures into effect that included securing facilities and stocking up on supplies. Health experts also cautioned that those with chronic medical conditions should take extra precautions.
Staff at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport had an emergency preparedness meeting Thursday morning, said Noreen McNicholas, St. Vincent's director of marketing. She said preparations include making sure the hospital has enough food and supplies, including fuel, to last over a four-day period.
At Milford Hospital, the facility's emergency operations center was slated to open Friday, but preparations for Irene have already begun, said Karen Kipfer, director of community relations. Like St. Vincent's, Milford is stocking up on supplies, making sure there is enough food and provisions for a five-day period. The emergency operations center, once it opens, will track the storm and assess the hospital's staffing and other needs throughout the storm, should it arrive.
Though Milford Hospital is relatively close to the Long Island Sound, Kipfer said the building is sturdy enough to withstand strong winds and other hurricane conditions.
Joseph Burnette, EMS and emergency management coordinator at Griffin Hospital in Derby, said that, among other things, Griffin is making sure staff members are able to get to the hospital, even if roads are blocked by storm debris.
"A lot of times, the storm's impact isn't necessarily on the facility itself, but on the community surrounding it," Burnette said.
Bridgeport Hospital Chairman of Emergency Medicine Michael Werdmann said those with chronic medical conditions should take precautions to prepare themselves for a storm.
People who take regular medication should make sure they have enough to last until the middle of next week in case Irene makes roads impassable or knocks out power, Werdmann said. Those who use ventilators, oxygen concentrators or other electric-powered home medical equipment should contact their providers to make sure they have a plan that allows them to use the equipment in case of power outages.
Others who need to prepare themselves? Pregnant women and new parents. The March of Dimes' Connecticut chapter cautioned expectant women to pack extra prenatal vitamins, or perhaps an extra supply of over-the-counter vitamins, along with extra maternity clothes. New parents also should take special steps to ensure they have food for their infants.
