Posted: Friday, October 23, 2009
ST. MARIES, ID - Many Northwest hospitals are improvising to keep
up with a steady stream of patients with the flu. Inland Northwest
Correspondent Doug Nadvornick visited one rural north Idaho
hospital to see how it’s coping.
Here’s evidence that Benewah Community Hospital has
become Flu Central in St. Maries, Idaho. CEO Brian Nall says the
hospital has turned a conference room into a clinic just for flu
patients.
Nall: “We’ve partitioned off areas and we have a couple of exam
areas back around the corner there. And they’ll come in here and all
of our staff are gowned up and taking precautions. And we have a
seating area for them, so it’s worked out well for us.”
Doug: “It’s kind of your M.A.S.H. triage unit here.”
Brian Nall: “Yeah, yeah.”
Nall says the hospital has also sealed off a corridor of rooms just
for flu patients. It doesn’t have enough space to allow contagious
patients to have private rooms, so they’re doubling up and limiting
family visits.
As for the staff, Nall says a few people have gotten sick, but not
enough to disrupt operations. He says much of the hospital’s first
batch of H1N1 vaccine went to inoculate staff members.
Copyright 2009 Spokane Public Radio