With cases of Ebola now reported in the United States, Whidbey General Hospital is joining hospitals across the country in preparing to handle patients suspected of having the disease.

“Whidbey General Hospital is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other infection control experts in Washington state, to be ready in case the Ebola virus appears on Whidbey Island,” Whidbey General said in a statement released this week.

In response to inquiries, Whidbey General’s chief executive officer, Tom Tomasino, sent an emailed statement in collaboration with hospital staff that the hospital is following “the latest guidelines on transmission-based precautions,” which were updated on Oct. 20 by the CDC.

The CDC issued a four-page checklist to follow in order to prepare, which “covers everything form trash disposal in an affected area to how to safely pack potentially infected blood samples for testing,” according to the hospital’s written statement.

The checklist explains how to identify people who may have been exposed, how to properly prevent the spreading of the virus should the hospital have an infected patient and how to protect staff and health care providers from the virus.

Navy Hospital at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is also working to prepare should Ebola come to Whidbey Island.

Sharon McIntyre, community relations specialist for the Navy Hospital, said the staff there is “prepared to respond as a measure of precaution,” and the hospital staff is also trained and prepared according to CDC guidelines.

Whidbey General currently has procedures in place to decontaminate protection gear when possible, but are still working on developing proper disposal plans, should there be need for it.

Whidbey General administrators are working with the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy to ensure hospital staffers are equipped with the best possible personal protective equipment, which are tools used to protect people from blood, bodily fluids and other infectious material.

“WGH is following the CDC guidelines and evaluating different types of suits, masks and other PPE, based on what the hospitals have learned in their care for Ebola patients,” said Teresa Fulton, the hospital’s chief quality officer.

“Every hospital is working as quickly as possible to create their response plans and train and educate their staff,” Fulton said.

The CDC recommends single or double gloving, and suggests that, in some situations, triple gloving would happen, said Fulton.

Beyond that, she said, the health care professionals would be wearing masks, either the regular face masks or powered air purifying respirators, such as those used in HAZMAT suits.

Fulton said those uniforms are “more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.”

The most critical aspect of preventing the spread of the Ebola virus is keeping those who are infected from passing the virus to others.

The CDC website says that the virus is passed through the bodily fluids of someone infected with Ebola, or from someone who has died from the disease.

“It is important to remember the risk of Ebola is related to a returned traveler from West Africa,” Fulton said.

If the traveler, or anyone they’ve come into contact with, develops a fever, she said, that person “needs to be evaluated, along with the travel and contact history.”

“The incubation period is (up to) 21 days.”

The Whidbey General statement said that, should a suspected or potential Ebola case arrive at Whidbey General, the staff would report it to the county Health Department and CDC.

“Any communication informing the public about a case of Ebola on Whidbey Island would come from the Health Department (public health officer) or CDC, and not from Whidbey General Hospital,” the statement said.

“We follow all applicable federal and state privacy laws regarding a patient’s health information and confidentiality.”

Quick Facts:

• To aid in preventing the spread of Ebola, the CDC suggests careful personal hygiene and avoiding contact with items that came into contact with an infected person’s blood or other bodily fluids.
• The CDC website says symptoms of Ebola include a fever greater than 101.5 degrees, severe headaches, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising.
• For more information, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov