“Expect the best, prepare for the worst” that could be the unofficial mantra of first responders and medical personnel at hospitals and health institutions.
Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point does its best to cover and prepare for different types of disaster scenarios though their bi-annual disaster preparedness simulations. Throughout the year they do other smaller drills and scenarios to keep skills and reactions sharp as well. Other hospitals under the Franciscan Alliance umbrella get prepared in similar ways with large-scale disaster preparedness drills as well like St. Margaret Health in Dyer and St. Anthony Health in Michigan City.
“We are required to do two a year but we do many more because we want our staff to be prepared,” Rob Dowling, Director of Emergency Medical Services and Coordinator for Emergency Preparedness Drills said. “All together we do around 10 drills per year that include fire drills, adverse weather, hospital collapse, proper evacuation, adverse weather scenarios, and more.”
The reason behind the disaster preparedness drills, besides keeping skills of the staff in tip-top shape, is to also test the hospital’s policies. Different policies are tested in different scenarios and if the outcome of a drill requires that a policy be changed, then it is amended to help cover a real future disaster, in the unlikely instance that one does occur.
It started out years ago as internal drills, but as time passed a need arose. Franciscan began involving outside organization so that they can get in on the learning experience.
For example: The University of St. Francis sponsors a degree for Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point’s paramedic program, and they expressed interest in collaborating with the drills, so Franciscan created drills that met Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) certification standards.
The two big disaster preparedness drills typically take place in the spring and fall. This year’s spring scenario was an active shooter simulation drill. A fake situation is put into play where individuals come into the University of St. Francis and pretend to shoot six individuals. These six “victims” are then taken and treated at Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point.
“It takes a year of planning to pull off a four-hour drill like this,” Dowling said. “Our paramedic students and EMT students team up with nurses at St. Francis to treat the ‘victims’. What this does with the students is shows them what happens with other fields. Nursing students learn about the scope of capabilities for EMTs and paramedics, and vice versa.”
Other municipal organizations are involved as well including: the Crown Point Fire Department, the Lake County Coroner’s office, the Lake County Sheriff's Department, a helicopter is flown out from the University of Chicago to transport one of the “victims”, and other organizations take part in the drill.
“The victims are then taken care of by the hospital staff, nurses, physicians, and administration at St. Anthony’s. We treat it like it’s a real life happening,” Dowling said. “This helps the students and really benefits everyone. Afterward we do a debriefing to discuss what went well and what needs work.”
There is a designated team that is selected to be part of the drill. Remaining hospital staff, nurses, physicians, and administration are on hand like normal to treat and take care of the real patients who are residing at Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point so no one is neglected.
In the fall the disaster preparedness drill involves a multi-car collision and other policies and procedures are tested.
