Page 13 - Flathead Beacon // 10.29.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS OCTOBER 29, 2014 | 13
LOCAL SUPPORT TO HELP FIND CURE FOR CANCER
creating
JOBS
Sarah Broussard laughs while announcing that Rebecca Farm will award $80,000 from its Halt Cancer at X initiative to raise awareness for breast cancer during a presentation at the Rebecca Chaney Broussard Center for Nursing and Health Science at Flathead Valley Community College. Halt Cancer at X was started in 2012 in memory of The Event’s founder and Sarah’s mother, Rebecca Broussard. A portion of the donation will go towards a new support group for cancer patients at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
small business
HELPING
small business
Three Rivers Bank understands the challenges and situations facing small businesses in the Flathead Valley better than anyone.
After all, we’re a small business ourselves.
IDAHO STREET BANK
233 E Idaho St. Kalispell, MT 59901 755-4271
MERIDIAN ROAD BANK
552 N Meridian Rd. Kalispell, MT 59901 755-5432
A Locally Owned, Independent Community Bank Since 1974
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KRMC, Local Health Officials Reveal Ebola Plan
As the virus spreads to the United States, local healthcare officials say they are prepared for an outbreak
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
It is better to be safe than sorry. That appears to be the message healthcare of- ficials in the Flathead Valley are spread- ing about Ebola, a deadly virus that has killed thousands in Africa and sickened many more.
While the epicenter of the outbreak is Africa, specifically Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, there have been four cases in the United States, including one fatality. Just last week, a New York City doctor who had gone overseas to treat patients was stricken with the virus. As of Oct. 27 he was in serious but stable condition.
Health officials, including those at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, say that an outbreak in Montana is un- likely and that people are more likely to die from the flu than Ebola. But clinical
safety officer Bill Boyd said, “We still want to make sure we’re ready for it.”
KRMC has teamed up with North Valley Hospital, the Flathead City- County Health Department, the Flat- head County Office of Emergency Ser- vices and the Flathead County Sheriff to put together an emergency response team just in case there is an outbreak in the area. The incident command team has been meeting almost daily and is looking at how it would care for someone with Ebola.
One member of that team is Dr. Jef- frey Tjaden, who was an infectious dis- eases doctor for the Navy before coming to KRMC. Last week he provided an ex- tensive presentation to employees about the virus, where it comes from and how they should prepare.
Ebola was first discovered in 1976 and it is believed that bats carry the vi- rus. Humans can contract it if they are exposed to the bodily fluids of some- one who has it. Between 1976 and 2007 there had been 1,755 cases of the virus resulting in 1,133 deaths. This year, as of Oct. 22, there have been 9,936 cases and 4,877 deaths. Tjaden said those numbers are why the current outbreak is so con- cerning.
“This outbreak is so much bigger than previous ones,” he said. “But I don’t think we’ll see a widespread outbreak here in the United States so long as we continue to monitor the situation.”
As part of their planning, both KRMC and North Valley have identified secure rooms within their facilities to care for someone who has Ebola. The negative pressure rooms have a two-door en- trance made to prevent germs from get- ting out. KRMC is also putting together a team of healthcare providers who are specially trained to deal with an Ebola case. If someone who recently traveled to Africa did come in to KRMC or North Valley with Ebola-like symptoms, which includes a high fever and vomiting, a blood sample would be taken and then sent to the state. If the state medical lab found that the blood tested positive for Ebola, it would then be sent to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be tested again.
In the unlikely event that Ebola does come to Northwest Montana, local offi- cials say it would be a team response.
“We’re all in this together and it’ll be
a team effort,” said North Valley public
information officer Catherine Todd.
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
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