Hospitals in Nine States Jeopardize Patient Safety

Only nine?

Sheesh, we're doing pretty good.

I'm surrprized to see Texas included in that number given they border Mexico. I am also skeptical on the actual number of states that are not prepared--it seems too low. My hosptial has a plan but I wouldn't say prepared to deal with what this article is projecting.

i am not surprised at all to see FL on the list.
i wouldn't be able to tell you what my hospital has planned, if anything.

but was the survey only conducted on the states mentioned and not all 50?

Please remember that in the event of a pandemic there would cease to be isolation rooms for influenza...entire floors and wings of hospitals would be H1N1 specific. In the case of a pandemic, the hospital staff would become first in line for the vaccine thereby minimizing their risk, immune people have little need for the masks. Think about taking care of a child with chicken pox when you have already had that nasty little disease...standard precautions are all YOU need although the child may actually be in a strict isolation environment while in the hospital... for the protection of others. My guess is...are hospitals across the US "prepared"...no probably not...do they have some sort of a plan waiting to be initiated...yes probably (some better than others).
My hope is that hospitals and clinics near college campuses and urban settings are taking the potential threat to younger victims very seriously and are planning accordingly both in prevention and in response to illness.

I got the pig flu in Thailand; it's not that bad. Lasts about a month just like a nasty regular flu. It's the source and potential that's scaring everyone, though.

Everybody wake up!
It's not the actual disease that will cause problems for the individual it's the effects on the community!

FIRST: Sick children will not be allowed to come to school and eventually when enough kids are sick, the schools will close

SECOND: These kids will be out for 1 week - guess who has to stay home with the kids then; all the working parents!

They are projecting 40% of the population will be affected and the CDC recommends "social isolation" (IE: stay at home, don't go to work for about aweek).

Now Imagine if 40% of the peole in your community didn't go to work!
The problem is when businesses start to shut down or run on skeleton only crews (grocery stores, retail, police, fire, EMS, hospitals, dr's offices, utilities, public services etc).

Real apocalyptic stuff.

I work at a small hospital just outside Seattle and I must say that our hospital is doing everything it can to protect staff from getting the flu. We isolate anyone we suspect immediately and anyone who comes in with any symptoms are immediately given a mask the minute the step foot in the ED. We have all the proper equipment we need. For us, they are following all the guidelines to keep both staff and the public safe.

Our psych hospital is doing pretty well. We've been drilling and you're prepared.

One thing that gets me. It says 18% of hospital workers have become infected, but since it's pretty pervasive in the community that doesn't mean that they got infected at work.

That's why there are so many cans of tuna in my pantry.