Bethesda Healthcare Systems is a large community hospital with a capacity of 362 patients. Robert Broadway is the Vice President of the organization where he is responsible of planning and managing all corporate affairs (Broadway, 2002). After the 9/11 terrorist attack, healthcare organizations began planning for potential biological threats and attacks such as Anthrax. As Bethesda was arranging its disaster plan, a neighboring facility recorded an Anthrax case. This allowed Bethesda ample time to organize its medical staff, prepare and understand disease symptoms and deliver rapid treatment. When preparing for response, Bethesda prioritized on factual disease information and proper clinical preparation (p. 28).
Treatment plans such as Ciprofloxacin antibiotics were made available and the medical staff was adequately prepared to handle cases. Emergency department was trained on detecting symptoms and distinguishing them from other related manifestations. The management and executive ensured that all necessary precautions and measures were adhered to in order to protect life. Adequate preparations at Bethesda prompted many people to seek clinical diagnosis and treatment for system they thought were Anthrax. Many of those believed that they had been exposed to Anthrax from workplaces or neighborhoods. However, not a single case was found positive for the disease. Disease tracking was conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who collaborated with Bethesda in diagnosing for anthrax.
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Community Reaction
The community was in panic for a possible outbreak which was intensified by the just occurred terrorist attacks on September 11. Most people were worried about mass deaths which could be caused by such a biological agent. Skepticism about possible chemical contamination by planes resulted in increased emergency calls and rushes to seek medical attention for those who believed they had become contaminated. The staff had to integrate great skill to ensure that processes were not derailed by misinformation and panic. This was facilitated by CDC representative in the process. According to Broadway, the CDC required the Bethesda to retrieve vital records which would help with relevant data and help identify origin and manage the Anthrax. This process also required departmental cooperation especially infection-control with local facilities for access of information and widening the study field (p. 29).
Media Involvement
Bethesda received many media requests but referred them to the Palm Beach County Health Department medical director, Jean Malecki in order to streamline the output. “As the Anthrax concern escalated the state health department officials took over the county Emergency Operations Center and became the spokesperson for the issues” (p. 30). Other state departments and agencies such as the FBI helped enlighten the public and mitigate the scare. It was important to educate the public on the disease etiology and proper use of Ciprofloxacin as many people were pushing to acquire the antibiotic. This helped in mitigating side effects derived from inappropriate drug use which was limiting available resources. The main challenge against the media was what information to give and who to allow for interviews. This required professional practice and proper measures to ensure HIPAA and confidentiality are properly guarded.
Contamination and Other Challenges
Facility contamination was prevented through routine precautions such as patient isolation and proper referral processes. Financial challenges were resulted by acquisition of new equipment, training and preparation and derailed internal operation such as cancelled elective surgeries and CDC review. Hospital cooperation and proper disaster management planning through drills and revisions enabled Bethesda to effectively handle most challenges. Broadway recommends proper revision of policies and procedures, chemic and biological drills and departmental coordination are effective ways to strengthen public health and manage such occurrences in the future (p. 31).
Reference
Broadway, R. L. (2002). Broadway: anthrax threat intensifies focus on disaster preparedness. Healthcare financial management: journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association , 56 (7), 28-31.
