Letter to Carmela Coyle, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland Hospital Association - Ebola Readiness

Letter

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen released a letter he sent to Carmela Coyle, President and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association, outlining several steps the CDC has recommended hospitals take to prepare for Ebola and inquiring whether Maryland hospitals are ready to handle cases of the virus. After reports of lapses in protocol at a Dallas hospital, a nurse infected with Ebola has been transferred to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda for treatment.

"In the wake of the death of the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States and the infection of two nurses on his health care team, there have been troubling reports of lapses in protocol and lack of protective equipment at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital," Congressman Van Hollen wrote. "Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your dedication to protecting the health and safety of Marylanders."

For more information about Ebola visit http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.

The full text of Congressman Van Hollen's letter is below:

Carmela Coyle

President and Chief Executive Officer

Maryland Hospital Association

Dear Ms. Coyle,

I appreciate the ongoing efforts of the Maryland Hospital Association and the State of Maryland in coordinating with hospitals and health care providers to prepare for possible cases of Ebola and to keep Marylanders safe. In the wake of the death of the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States and the infection of two nurses on his health care team, there have been troubling reports of lapses in protocol and lack of protective equipment at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Indeed it was determined that the hospital does not have the capacity to effectively care for one of these nurses, Ms. Nina Pham, who will be transferred to the National Institutes of Health today.

As you know, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released guidance to hospitals to help them prepare to care for known and probable cases of Ebola and prevent transmission of the disease. I urge you to determine whether Maryland hospitals have addressed the following issues:

Have hospital administrators received complete information from the CDC and have federal authorities been responsive to their questions and concerns?

Have the hospitals encountered any problems with implementing CDC guidance?

Do hospitals have a protocol in place to immediately screen patients for fever and place them in separate waiting areas until further screening can be done?

Have the hospitals communicated protocols and other tools to all levels of their health care staff? Did the hospitals provide live training which included proper techniques for donning and doffing personal protective equipment, procedures for disposal of medical waste and linens after use, and an interactive question-and-answer segment for all personnel and for every shift?

Do all hospital staff, from intake personnel on up, understand that it is crucial to pass on critical information to all of their colleagues -- including information on a patient's recent travel and activities?

What communication and training has happened between Maryland hospitals and local health clinics, urgent care centers, and physician offices to ensure that all front line health workers follow appropriate protocol to prevent another patient from mistakenly being sent home or treated in a way that puts others at risk?

Do the hospitals have adequate supplies of Hazmat suits and other personal protective equipment? Do they have properly equipped isolation rooms to assure patient, visitor, and staff safety? And do they have proper procedures for disposal of medical waste and linens after use?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your dedication to protecting the health and safety of Marylanders.

Sincerely,

Chris Van Hollen

Member of Congress

Source