FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/27/2014 12:00:00 AM
CENTRAL
Updated:
10/27/2014 9:20:08 AM
CENTRAL
Labette Health is Making Ebola Preparations
By Michael Farris, M.D. October 17, 2014 Parsons, KS ?? Labette Health is continuously prepared to handle emergency situations of all types. There are plans in place to deal with everything ranging from dangerous infectious diseases to hazardous chemical spills to natural disasters. The current Ebola virus scare is no different. Hospital staff is being educated on how to recognize a patient who might have been exposed to Ebola and how to respond to that situation. The Labette Health Administration and Foundation have also pledged their support to assist with any necessary equipment purchases. The emergency preparedness committee at Labette Health has been having conference calls with the national Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) nearly every day. "The CDC and KDHE are providing us with the latest information as it becomes available," said Farris. Although the likelihood of Labette Health encountering a patient who has been exposed to Ebola is very low, "we're ready if we do," he emphasized. Dr. Farris is the medical director of the emergency room and the physician advisor to the emergency preparedness committee at Labette Health. "We have all of the necessary equipment and space to evaluate a patient who was potentially exposed to Ebola," said Farris. The hospital is focusing efforts now on educating and preparing its entire staff. "Ebola isn't very well known to healthcare providers in the United States." Dr. Farris is familiar with Ebola, though. As a former United States Air Force physician, he was required to study diseases such as Ebola. Emerging infections remain an interest to Farris, who says he continues to read heavily on the subject. Farris says "one of the biggest challenges we face is providing accurate information. There is a lot if inaccurate information circulating on social media about Ebola.” Hospitals around the country have been preparing to encounter a patient with possible Ebola exposure. Nurses and doctors are on the lookout for a recent traveler who may be showing the first symptoms. The early symptoms of Ebola include fever, severe headache, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. The real clue to recognizing Ebola from a variety of other illness is the history of recent travel. The Labette Health clinics, emergency room, and ambulance staff are now asking patients about any history of recent travel. According to Dr. Michael Farris, "Africa is a very large place and Ebola is occurring in only a very small region of the continent. We are most interested in identifying patients who have traveled to that specific region on the western coast of Africa." Ebola virus is an infection that had previously been contained to Africa. The disease was first identified there in 1976. Since that time, there have been small and isolated outbreaks in various countries in Western Africa. The current epidemic is the largest outbreak of Ebola that has ever occurred. The recent cases in Dallas, TX demonstrated that Ebola can travel to this country.