New Jersey is bracing itself for a possible bird flu pandemic. A quarter of a million people may become sick and more than 8,100 may die, according to state officials.
Cooper is getting ready with Annette Reboli, M.D., at the helm. She is one of the region’s leading infectious diseases experts.
The avian flu could be landing on U.S. soil sometime this summer, Dr. Reboli says. The disease will travel with migratory birds such as geese and eventually infect domestic fowl like turkeys and chickens. She is not certain if this will cause the next flu pandemic.
Infectious disease experts can’t say for sure if the disease will strike humans in the U.S. and, if so, how it will spread. Countries with human cases often have societies where people live closely with birds such as chickens.
Dr. Reboli, Head of Infectious Diseases, is leading a Cooper task force made up of employees. Representatives from departments such as Infection Control, Patient Care Services, Housekeeping, Respiratory Care, Emergency, Trauma, Environmental Safety, Administration, Security, Laboratory, Human Resources, Legal Affairs and Public Relations are helping to craft the plan. This group has been developing detailed plans for how Cooper will confront an influenza pandemic. Dr. Reboli, who also serves on state and local tasks forces dedicated to this disease, did a rough raft of the plan to guide the team.
This task force will make sure that managers, department heads and directors throughout Cooper will understand their roles and will be well-versed in what to do.
“We have two things to be concerned about. Since we will be treating patients with influenza, we need to be medically ready. In addition, we have to respond as an employer in terms of what to do if employees can’t come to work because they are sick or a family member is sick,” Dr. Reboli said.
As patients come into the hospital, they will be evaluated for whether they have influenza or another disease. Employees will have personal protection gear to help keep them from getting infected. Cooper staff will also be asked to get flu shots. Cooper will also have access to the federal government’s stockpile of antiviral agents such as Tamiflu®, which can help shorten the duration of the flu or prevent it.
Bob Saunders is Cooper’s Disaster Preparedness Analyst and is tailoring the medical coordination center (MCC) to serve a bird-flu pandemic. Currently the MCC is designed to handle regional emergencies such as natural disasters and terrorist events. This command center will be the primary method to warn and update the health care community, media and public.
“We’ll have four modes of operation. Once it has been confirmed that it has arrived in the continental U.S., we will have increased surveillance,” he said. Each mode ramps up Cooper’s response to the situation, including staffing the MCC 24 hours a day throughout the duration of the epidemic. The epidemic may last as long as six months.
“We will maintain situational awareness—where it is in the country and what the impact is on the region,” he said. Cooper will be working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other hospitals, and state and county officials. “Not every hospital has infectious disease experts like Dr. Reboli on staff with her expertise and academic background. With our highly trained and dedicated group of infectious disease physicians and infection control professionals, Cooper will be providing guidance to the health care community throughout the region,” Saunders says.
Human Resources is determining how to handle employees who cannot come to work. People who have the influenza will be encouraged to stay home until they are well. Canceling elective procedures, implementing plans for earlier discharge of patients who don’t need ongoing care, and creating triage and waiting areas will be part of the process. The hospital is also stockpiling hand hygiene supplies, gowns, gloves and surgical masks.
“I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It’s important not to get into panic mode,” Dr. Reboli said. “Preparation can help lessen the impact.”