Martin Memorial prepares for disasters by first preparing its associates, who are urged to create their own families’ disaster plans first. This will ensure the hospital associates know where their families will be and that their families are well positioned to get through the disaster. This allows the associate to truly focus on providing for patient care needs. Martin Memorial supports associates during disasters with services such as child and elder care, pet care, sleeping accommodations and meals to eliminate those concerns.

 

Another way Martin Memorial prepares associates is through disaster training and drills to practice responding to disasters. Many times, the drills are conducted in conjunction with local emergency management officials, fire rescue officials and hazardous materials specialists.

 

Recently, Martin Memorial partnered with Martin County Emergency Management, Martin County Fire Rescue and the City of Stuart Fire Rescue to practice emergency response to “victims” who had been injured and contaminated with a hazardous material. In preparing for the drill, associates – including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, facilities engineers, environmental services personnel and security personnel – attended a class on how to provide medical treatment to a victim who is contaminated with a hazardous material.

 

Following the classroom training, an actual drill was conducted with many “patients” who were injured as well as contaminated. The staff had the opportunity to practice treating the injury and managing and containing the contamination.

Martin Memorial has faced natural disasters in the past, being hit by a total of two hurricanes in 2004 and another in 2005. We have learned much from those experiences. That is why we believe emphasizing associate preparedness and providing rigorous training for a variety of potentially catastrophic events will make us well prepared to deliver care for the community in the event they occur.