Bingham Memorial Hospital participated in a joint training with the Idaho National Laboratory
Today, Bingham Memorial Hospital participated in a joint training with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) as a test to the national Incident Command System (ICS).
The ICS is a nationally standardized disaster management system designed to allow responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of any single incident or multiple incidents. “In the event of a natural disaster, mass casualty, or other type of accident, the ICS helps to ensure there is clear communication of the situation and the necessary medical needs are accessed and delivered,” explains Jake Mann, chief safety officer at Bingham Memorial Hospital.
Working with INL, Bingham Memorial’s administrators arranged the theoretical scenario which involved a crash of a diesel tanker into a tank containing radioactive material. The hypothetically affected “patients” were transported to Bingham Memorial Hospital by the INL first-responders for treatment. “Once the ‘patients’ arrived, all protocols were followed as if the event was real,” explains Jennifer Pugmire, emergency department director at Bingham Memorial Hospital. “In fact, we weren’t even told it was drill until after everything was said and done.”
The goal of the drill was designed to ensure the hospital staff, working in concert with first-responders at INL, have sharpened skills in the event of an actual incident. “These types of trainings prepare us to deal with any number of scenarios that may affect the hospital,” says Carolyn Hansen, chief nursing officer (CNO) at Bingham Memorial Hospital. “We are happy to have partners like INL who helped us create a real life scenario that allowed our staff to practice getting organized and responding to accidents that don’t happen very often, but which we should always be prepared for.”
“Bingham Memorial Hospital is committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients in the communities we serve, and continually invests in keeping our skills sharp and our training current,” says Carolyn Hansen, CNO.
About Bingham Memorial Hospital
Bingham Memorial Hospital is a 501(c)3 non-profit critical access hospital located in Blackfoot, Idaho. Bingham Memorial Hospital is committed to the pursuit of excellence in our endeavor to provide a continuum of quality, compassionate, healthcare services for residents and visitors to east Idaho, in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible. They have healthcare facilities in Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Shelley, and Soda Springs, Idaho. For more information, visit binghamhealthcare.org or call (208) 785-4100.
About the Incident Command System
Developed in 1970, ICS is a standardized on-scene incident management concept designed specifically to allow responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of any single incident or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries.
Media Contact:
Mark Baker
Director of Public Relations & Marketing
98 Poplar Street
Blackfoot, ID 83221
208.785.3858 – 208.782.2864 (fax)
Return to Articles
