Over the course of two weeks in early April, five CHSCPR member hospitals participated in first receiver decontamination training led by instructor Dave Matthews from Emergency Management Alliance. Staff from Holy Cross Hospital, Ascension St. Joseph – Chicago, Provident Hospital of Cook County, Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, and Loretto Hospital received in-depth classroom instruction before experiencing hands-on patient decontamination operations.
During the classroom sessions, participants learned about decontamination response plans and activation of the decontamination team at their facility, including the Incident Command System; recognizing a decontamination event and making the appropriate notifications to maximize staff, patient, and facility safety; contaminant identification; and, understanding different team roles and responsibilities. Practical sessions focused on essential skills such as setting up and checking the functionality of PAPRs, donning/doffing PPE, setting up and demobilizing the decontamination/shower area, and the value of conducting team debriefs. Each day concluded with a full-scale drill, where volunteers simulated patients requiring decontamination, allowing participants to execute the entire procedure from start to finish.
This training would not be possible without the dedication and genuine commitment to patient care and safety exhibited by staff at each facility. CHSCPR member hospitals are passionate about learning and skill development, helping to bolster decontamination and general healthcare emergency preparedness throughout Chicago!
Photos (clockwise): Holy Cross Hospital, Ascension St. Joseph – Chicago,
Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, Loretto Hospital.