Network Disaster Preparedness
Ask our experts how Lehigh Valley Health Network is prepared to respond to a local disaster
About Our Experts
Luther Rhodes, M.D., is chief of infectious disease at Lehigh Valley Health Network.
- Is Lehigh Valley Health Network prepared to respond to a disaster in our area?
- What type of disasters is the hospital prepared for?
- Is your response coordinated with anyone else in our area?
- We hear a lot about the avian flu and the possibility of a pandemic. Is it really a threat?
- How has Lehigh ValleyHealth Network prepared to respond to the bird flu?
- Wouldn't a pandemic be more than local hospitals can handle?
Q: Is Lehigh Valley Health Network prepared to respond to a disaster in our area?
A: Yes. We plan inside our hospital and with others in our area to make sure we can respond to any type of emergency or disaster. We call our strategy an 'all hazards' approach and we have continued to adjust this approach to new circumstances. At the center of this approach is a command and communications structure, which will help respond to any type of emergency quickly. We practice our response regularly.
Q: What type of disasters is the hospital prepared for?
A: Any type. These include natural disasters, such as we saw in the south with Hurricane Katrina, terrorist attacks, including bioterrorism, airline or other major transportation accidents, and public health threats like the avian flu.
Q: Is your response coordinated with anyone else in our area?
A: Yes. In order to respond effectively to a disaster that would affect the whole area, we have to work with others in the area. We work closely with local and county health departments, emergency medical and law enforcement agencies, and key state and federal agencies. These include the FBI, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We also work with local airports and doctors at other local hospitals.
Q: We hear a lot about the avian flu and the possibility of a pandemic. Is it really a threat?
A: Avian, or bird flu has been found in birds mostly in Asia and there have been human cases in Southeast Asia. The spread of this flu from one person to another is extremely rare and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person. The concern is that the bird flu virus could cause a human pandemic (global outbreak) if it mutates into a form that can be spread from person to person. The risk of bird flu infecting humans in the U.S. may be less than in Southeast Asia because that population lives more closely with birds and other livestock than do Americans.
Q: How has Lehigh Valley Health Network prepared to respond to the bird flu?
A: Our experience two years ago when we diagnosed and successfully treated one case of SARS is very helpful. At that time we partnered with public health organizations on our response plans and we are doing that again for the bird flu. We believe that the key to the response will be the local efforts, especially a partnership between public health officials and private hospitals such as ours. We are the largest hospital in the area and we will play an important part in the diagnosis and treatment if there is an outbreak.
Q: Wouldn't a pandemic be more than local hospitals can handle?
A: Part of our response planning is to make sure we do not disrupt our regular patient care. In a major disaster or pandemic, there would be a large influx of patients. We call this 'surge capacity.' We would accommodate this by having temporary field hospitals set up throughout the community. That is planned ahead of time with local authorities.
If a large-scale disaster or pandemic occurs, LVHHN is prepared. This new mobile surge capacity hospital will allow the hospital to respond quickly and deliver care when and where it’s needed most. It gives the hospital the ability to care for 20 additional critically ill patients. Click here to see this “inflatable hospital” come to life.
This page last updated 12/30/08 04:54 PM
