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LiberalElite

(14,691 posts)
Sat Oct 25, 2014, 10:38 AM Oct 2014

Ebola: NY had jump start, Dallas had to learn fast

http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Ebola-NY-had-jump-start-Dallas-had-to-learn-fast-5847199.php

-snip-
NEW YORK (AP) — Talk about a tale of two cities: A Dallas hospital got a pop quiz in Ebola and made an early mistake. New York got a peek at the answer sheet and was better prepared at the start.

The contrast in handling two Ebola diagnoses highlights how differently cities and hospitals prepare for health emergencies.

"The lesson I would take from New York is you have to practice," Dr. Amesh Adalja, a representative of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. "Preparedness isn't something you just make a plan for and put it on the shelf."
-snip-
10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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jwirr

(39,215 posts)
1. New York listened to the CDC and started working on their program in early August - long before
Sat Oct 25, 2014, 10:51 AM
Oct 2014

Duncan landed in Texas.

etherealtruth

(22,165 posts)
7. Not just that ....
Sat Oct 25, 2014, 11:27 AM
Oct 2014

.... the hospital held regular emergency drills (including trauma and INFECTIOUS DISEASE) and made sure their staff (multidisciplinary) was appropriately trained, had supplies and were well practiced.

I was astounded by the Dallas hospital's response. Instead of having a team in place (highly trained and practiced) they asked for volunteers (noting the volunteers did so knowing they did not have the training or supplies .... showing a commitment to their patient).

i have no doubt that the New York hospitals steeped up their game further following the CDC warnings.

ecstatic

(32,731 posts)
4. Dr. Spencer's actions made it a lot easier
Sat Oct 25, 2014, 11:08 AM
Oct 2014

He didn't stroll into the ER while symptomatic--he called ahead of time so that a special ambulance could be sent.

Also, shouldn't we wait 21 days before making the final critique?

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
6. Yes, that is true because he know what he was looking for. However, if the system had not been
Sat Oct 25, 2014, 11:23 AM
Oct 2014

set up earlier there would have been the same problems they had in Texas.

JI7

(89,264 posts)
8. No, Dallas continued to have problems even
Sat Oct 25, 2014, 11:29 AM
Oct 2014

After they knew it was Ebola.

The culture of profit over safety regulations Is a pRoblem.

 

kestrel91316

(51,666 posts)
10. Not exactly. NY paid heed to the CDC warnings and did not make a deliberate choice to
Sat Oct 25, 2014, 01:13 PM
Oct 2014

ignore all federal guidelines.

Texas??

I expect any and all Ebola cases in red states to continue to be a huge problem with far too many contacts to trace and far too many secondary cases.

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