Anyone can be an everyday hero

September was National Emergency Preparedness Month and the 2010 theme was “Be an Everyday Hero”

Throughout September, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center staff and volunteers focused on exercises and education designed to improve their understanding of the hospital’s Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) and to offer helpful ideas for staff and their families to prepare at home. Winners were drawn from entry forms collected throughout the month in response to a “Question of the Week.”

Paul Mitchell, Mat-Su Regional’s director of facilities management, said, “Mat-Su Regional trains staff to be prepared to serve the community and provide our valuable services during disasters/emergencies. The friendly competition among departments and individuals created a great teaching environment. We have meetings and trainings all the time but many people have told me how much they learned this year from something as simple as a crossword puzzle.”

The month ended for the second year with the firefighters Fill-the-Boot, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) campaign fund-raiser held during the hospital’s annual Chili Cook-off event. Just over $200 was raised as chili entries were judged by Borough Fire Department volunteers in two separate events held in the Palmer and Wasilla medical facilities.

The winners of the 2010 competition are:

• Best Traditional Chili: Andrew Moran, M.D.

• Best Non-Traditional Chili: Martha Bush, director of surgical services and outpatient surgery.

• Healthiest Chili: Janet Dorning, health information management.

• People’s Choice: Tony Morrison, laboratory services.

Mitchell added, “The event and the fund-raiser were so successful, we decided to expand the 2011 competition to include entries from fire department personnel and will also add two categories: Presentation and Bread.”

In addition to light-hearted games and competitions for our hospital staff, mock incidents are designed throughout the year to raise awareness and improve planning efforts among a variety of agencies. We are part of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) which meets annually to review and update the borough disaster plan. As a member of the LEPC, we submit our own assessment of major risks to the committee (natural and/or manmade disasters) who then review, approve and provide guidance on which all of our drills are based.

One such exercise was executed at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center on Oct. 27. The staged event, a continuation of the table-top drill held by the borough on Oct. 1, continued on the scenario of a pandemic-level outbreak of H1N1 which created a consistent 90 percent to 95 percent hospital occupancy rate. The October drill involved hospital medical staff, fire department, ambulance, helicopter and the incident command team. All responded to a large “mock” helicopter crash that spread debris around the hospital parking lot, causing multiple injured staff and visitors, crew and patients and was further complicated by patients who needed decontamination from the jet fuel spilled during the crash.

Director of Critical Care Joe Kiren said, “Mat-Su Regional Medical Center networks with medical and emergency services throughout the borough. Emergency exercises held on the hospital campus are a great example of how we collaborate to create scenarios in order to prepare for critical incidents that require safe, efficient and effective coordination among the agencies involved.”

For more information about emergency planning and preparedness and to view a copy of the current Mat-Su Borough Emergency Operations Plan, visit prepared.matsugov.us.