Welcome to Dupont Hospital

MANAGING GUEST CLINICAL AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

Clinical Activities
Dupont Hospital has a policy on the clinical activities for the treatment of guests during an emergency.  These activities include triage, scheduling, assessment, treatment, and discharge (see Disaster Response Plan).  Dupont Hospital will evacuate when the environment cannot support care, treatment and services. In the event of needing to evacuate part or all of the facility, the hospital Evacuation Response Plan will be followed.  For horizontal evacuation, guests will move laterally by walking, carrying, or by wheelchair, stretcher or blanket to the nearest and safest protected area on the same floor.  For vertical evacuation when it is determined that an entire floor is endangered, a downward movement of guests will be ordered.  The stairways are located at the extreme ends of each guest care unit and designated by “EXIT” signs.  If evacuation of the entire hospital is ordered, guests will be taken to the parking lot on the south side of the hospital by the ambulatory entrance of the Emergency Department and the parking lot on the west side in front of the hospital.  All Medical Office buildings will be evacuated to the parking lots in front of their buildings.

Special Guests
Dupont Hospital has a policy on the clinical activities for providing treatment of special guests during an emergency.  These guests include pediatrics, geriatrics, and disabled.  This may also include guests with serious chronic conditions such as mental health or addiction.  For those guests that are unable to ambulate, the hospital will use Stryker chairs to move the guests vertically.  Wheelchairs and stretchers will be used to move guests horizontally.  Pediatric guests will be attached to a hospital team member if no parent/designee is available.  NICU nurses will move their guests by isolettes unless moving vertically; the nurses will then carry the babies.  Each department will follow their department disaster response for the care of their guests once they are evacuated.

Personal Hygiene & Sanitation Requirements
The alternative means to personal hygiene will be baby wipes, personal wipes, and alcohol-based rubs.  Family may clean the guest during emergencies.  The alternative means to sanitation, if toilets are inoperable, is kitty litter, red bags in the toilet, and/or a bucket brigade.  A change of bed linen is limited to those guests who have gross soiling from draining wounds, catheters, etc. Environmental Services' use of water will be curtailed to the extent of one change of water per day for mopping except in surgery, delivery rooms, and isolation areas.  The hospital has a means for an emergency water connection and it is located at the back or southeast side of the building.  Plant Operations will coordinate the connection with a water supplier and contractor, if necessary.

Mental Health Services
During an emergency, the organization will provide mental health services to the appropriate guest.  Team members may use guest registration/triage information and medical records to determine this population and the appropriate services required.   St Joe Behavioral Health will be responsible for tracking guests receiving these services during the emergency.  Any of these services provided to the organization's guest will be documented in the medical record.  The Emergency Management Team will assess the processes used to manage mental health services during the emergency exercise or during an actual event, and revise the policies, procedures and Emergency Response Plans as deemed necessary.  The Safety Committee and appropriate medical staff will review the critique of the services prior to modifying emergency services.

Mortuary Services
In the event of emergency involving deceased guests, the organization will contact the local medical examiner for the appropriate clearance and procedures.  Arrangements with the Coroner's Office have been made and a refrigeration truck will be dispatched to the hospital and located near the dock.   Bodies will be appropriately tagged and housed in the refrigeration truck until positive ID and the claiming process have been instituted. Those bodies deemed contaminated, will not be released to family until appropriate decontamination of the body has taken place. The local County Coroner's Office will handle this process. Contaminated bodies will be taken to the hall outside the Body Holding Room until the refrigeration truck arrives.  The Coroner's office will be notified at 260-449-7839 when the refrigerated trailer is full or the disaster has been cleared.  No deceased guests will be released to private funeral homes for services there unless authorized by the Coroner.

US Patent Numbers 7,720,998 B2, 7,836,207