Drills, teamwork help Illinois hospital treat influx of patients post-tornado

A tornado tore through the small town of Ottawa and Naplate, Ill., Tuesday night, killing one and sending at least 16 people to the emergency department at Ottawa-based OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center.

In addition to 16 storm-related injuries that presented Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, six other patients came to OSF St. Elizabeth whose injuries were not storm-related. Two patients were transferred to OSF Saint Francis in Peoria and were in critical and good condition, respectively, as of Wednesday. Another patient was admitted to OSF Saint Elizabeth and is in good condition.

"I think we were well-prepared for them … it certainly was higher than your normal influx of patients," OSF St. Elizabeth President Ken Beutke says.

Megan Brennan, RN, director of emergency services at OSF St. Elizabeth, said in a statement, "Even though we had an influx and a large population that came to the department in a short time, there was no lapse in the services we provided. All of our surrounding OSF facilities were really able to reach out and say what do you need, how can we help, whether it was from supply, to staff, to physicians."

Mr. Beutke credits drills, an agile team and relationships with community and other healthcare organizations for the success of his hospital's response to the tornado.

"It really is about having a good plan in place and simulating it, validating it and [to] continue looking for opportunities for improvement," Mr. Beutke says. He emphasizes the importance of staying vigilant and making sure the plan is accessible in all circumstances — for instance, the plan should be accessible even if the internet goes down.

The team at OSF St. Elizabeth responded well in the tough situation, staying agile even when systems went down outside of the hospital. "We were continually evaluating that and altering our communication methods all the way down to walking up and down the stairs to communicate face to face," Mr. Beutke says.

Additionally, the storm response would not have been possible without a network of support, from OSF-affiliated facilities and nonaffiliated organizations.

For instance, OSF St. Elizabeth encouraged displaced residents to go to the Ottawa Township High School, was able to send patients to affiliated hospitals and even contacted neighboring non-OSF hospitals for information and potential resources, according to Mr. Beutke. That's not to mention the partnerships with emergency response teams in Ottawa and the surrounding area.

"In times like these, it really emphasizes the value of being part of a healthcare system [and] having a network," Mr. Beutke says. "It shines a light on the importance of … working together as a system and not as one individual organization."

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