Hospital Employees Complete Healthcare Emergency Response TrainingLast Friday, members of Wallace Thomson Hospital’s Decontamination Team participated in Healthcare Emergency Response Training (HERT) workshop and drill. The workshop was conducted by AHEC and funded by a grant from the Homeland Security Act.
 “The purpose of the Decontamination Team is to provide support to the hospital in the event that it must admit patients who have been contaminated with hazardous substances,” said Emily Cannon, RN, BSN, Infection Control Nurse and Employee Health Coordinator at Wallace Thomson Hospital. “If an individual or group becomes contaminated, the hazardous substance must be removed as quickly as possible to minimize harmful effects.” Hazardous substances must be removed before individuals can enter the hospital in order to prevent anyone inside (including employees, other patients, and visitors) from being exposed to and harmed by the substance.
Harmful substances are typically removed by firefighters at the scene of the incident before victims arrive at the hospital. However, some of those who have been contaminated by hazardous substances arrive at the hospital on their own account before the substance can be removed by the fire department. “If contaminated individuals arrive at the hospital and require treatment, it becomes the responsibility of the hospital to protect itself, and decontamination is necessary before affected individuals can receive treatment,” Cannon said.
Ralph Shealy, MD, an emergency medicine physician at the Medical University of South Carolina and disaster training expert, led the workshop with a team of four additional instructors. Dr. Shealy informed the team that persons can be contaminated with hazardous substances in various ways, including chemical spills at industrial sites, exposure to pesticides through farming or exterminating, or even acts of terrorism.
“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Shealy on emergency preparedness,” said Bill Leonard, CEO of the Union Hospital District. “Being prepared for all types of emergencies is not only important for the hospital, but for the community.” According to Leonard, each employee who participated on the Decontamination Team required more than eight hours of training, costing the hospital $4,500 in salaries for the day of training. “Unfortunately it is hard to know if an event will happen in our community, but practicing and training staff to respond to emergencies while also protecting themselves is essential for the health of our community.”
 Wallace Thomson Hospital’s Decontamination Team consists of a variety of employees from many different departments, including Ken Black (Pharmacy), Tiffany Black (Surgical Services), Natalie Brown (Marketing), Emily Cannon (Infection Control/Employee Health), Jamie Ellison (Outpatient Education), Andrew Green (Information Systems), Lisa Hartley (Human Resources), Billy Helmandollar (Information Systems), Rodney Johnson (Plant Operations), Thomas Jordan (Plant Operations), Lesley Kingsmore (Med/Surg), Angie Sanchez (Patient Access), and Aaron Slaughter (Pharmacy).
All of the WTH employees who volunteered for the team were required to pass a physical screening exam and were carefully monitored throughout each exercise.
Several Plant Operations employees served as tent assembly team members, including William Anderson, Norman Johnson, Larry Taylor, and Casey Woodsby. The tent is used to contain hazardous chemicals and acts as a station for decontamination to take place.
“The event was a great learning experience for everyone involved, and the members of Wallace Thomson Hospital’s Decontamination Team are proud to have gained the knowledge and skills needed to assist the hospital in the event of an emergency,” said Cannon.
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