Pulse

Volume5/1989_November01PULSE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER November 1, 1989 Earthquake Preparedness a For many households, earthquake preparedness is a low priority until something like the recent devastation in northern California hits. But at University Hospital, preparing for the big one is always a top priority. To help assess the hospital's preparedness, the disaster safety committee holds disaster drills a minimum of every six months. Last spring the drill was a mock earth-quake, where each department received a written scenario describing what damage had taken place and what resources were available. According to M. Scott Linscott, M. D., director of U Hospital emer-gency department and chair of the hospital's disaster safety committee, each department has prepared an internal disaster plan to help it deal Kirslen Doxey awaits a life- saving bone marrow transplant. Potential donors will be tested at the hospital on Nov. 9. Cost is $ 75. with emergency situations such as earthquakes. The drills serve as a testing ground to see how effective those plans would be in the event of a real crisis. Through the drills, the departments are constantly learning how to be better prepared in the case of an actual disaster, he says. Cam Arrington, U hospital safety director, offers the following sugges-tions in earthquakes: • Get away from windows and other glass- filled areas; • Protect people in immediate danger; • Get under supported structures such as doorways and desks; • Get away from falling objects such as shelves, lamps, etc. Tammy Nielsen, R. N., emergency department head nurse, believes that Priority at UH preparing ahead of time is vital. " I don't think many people along the Wasatch Front are as prepared as they should be," she said. Pam Proctor, R. N., emergency department assistant head nurse, agrees. She says in addition to knowing the disaster plan for the hospital, it's important for all employ-ees to prepare their own home disaster plan. A 72- hour emergency kit is one place to start. Every family should have enough food, water and fuel on hand to sustain the family for three days, she said. The kit should also include flashlights and battery-powered radios ( complete with new batteries). continued on back Bone Marrow Donors Sought For 19- month- old Kirsten Doxey, a rare bone marrow disorder means frequent visits to the hospital and a constant vigil against disease, rather than the usual outdoor childhood play. Kirsten, who has been a patient at U Hospital, suffers from CD- 18 Neutrophil Defect, a bone marrow disorder that is known to affect only 58 people worldwide. The disorder prevents the body from fighting infection. Kirsten's hope is a bone marrow transplant. But so far, searches in bone marrow registries in the United States and England have failed to produce a donor. A simple blood test can determine whether a person's bone marrow matches Kirsten's. The results of all tests are entered into a national data bank where potential donors can be matched with patients nationwide. On Thursday, Nov. 9, the Califor-nia- based group, Life- Savers, will be at U Hospital on the first floor bridge to perform the bone marrow tests. Individuals interested in being tested need to be generally healthy and between the ages of 18 and 55. Individuals being tested will also need to pay $ 75 to cover the cost of the test. Paula McGibbon, R. N., is coordinating the testing for the hospital. She said individuals who may not want to be donors, but could donate money toward the tests, also are being sought. People interested in being tested or donating money should contact Ms. McGibbon at x2944. Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars President Alice Hutto and Utah President Peggy Beck joined J. Robert Ste-wart, M. D., for a recent tour of U medical center's cancer center facilities. The auxiliary, which donated $ 25,000 to the center in 1979, will make another gift to the U in November. Earthquake Continued from front All family members should know how to shut off the gas and a tool for that purpose should be stored in an easy- to- find place. Families also should create a disaster communication plan. In a major earthquake, phonelines would jam in a matter of moments, she said. Therefore, families should have designated meeting places or a pre-determined method for contacting one another. One recent study projects that an earthquake of 7.5 magnitude along the Wasatch Fault would cause 2,200 fatalities and 10,000 injuries. Utah Senior Geologist Gary Christenson, of the Utah Geological and Mineral Survey, says U Hospital is situated in a seismologically safer spot than many buildings in the Salt Lake valley. Liquefaction- where a shallow water table turns the ground into liquid during a tremor- would not be a problem for U Hospital, but could be disastrous for other buildings situated on non- compacted lakebed soils lower in the valley. The hospital, however, is near enough the fault to experience strong ground shaking, Mr. Christenson says. The best guess places the most active trace of the Wasatch Fault west of the U of U campus- running near portions of 1300 East and then dropping west from there. An engineer who helped design the new University Hospital is hopeful about the building's ability to withstand a major earthquake. " U Hospital is one of the strongest buildings in the state of Utah," said Earle Eppich, principal engineer at Reaveley Engineers and Associates. The hospital, built in 1981, exceeds code by 50 percent, he said. Building 521, built in the 1960s, does not contain the earthquake features found in the hospital, he said. He added, however, that plans are in the works to retrofit building 521 with more reinforced concrete walls. Some reinforcement work was done on the fifth floor a few years ago. Parking in Snow As you sloshed through the parking lot last week, you may have wondered how U Hospital handles snow re-moval. Actually, the hospital has a very detailed plan for keeping the parking lots clear. The plan affects afternoon shift employees who normally park in the surface lots. On days when snow is forecast, afternoon shift staff are asked to park in the north terrace ( through the patient/ visitor entrance), according to Cam Arrington, U Hospital director, administrative services. If it starts snowing during the shift, an announcement will be made over the hospital public address system and employees will be asked to move their cars from the surface lots. Employees unable to move their own cars are asked to arrange for co- workers to move the cars for them. Once all cars are moved, the surface lots then will be plowed. Afternoon shift employees are asked to move their cars from the terrace by 7: 30 a. m. to accommodate day shift vehicles. The snow plan, Mr. Arrington says, usually goes into effect about eight or 10 times each winter. Mr. Arrington also reminds employees that the circular driveway in front of the hospital is designated for loading/ unloading. Vehicles left unattended are subject to impound-ment, he said. A Brown Brigade This bed is broken! ( Call x2241.) Something's wrong with this bath-room sink! ( Call x2241.) The B elevators aren't working right! ( Call x2241.) Whatever your problem, your friends in facilities and engineering can help. Many of them wear brown uniforms, but their jobs are extremely diverse. The facilities and engineering department has a wide range of specialists: plumbers, mechanics, systems operators, air conditioning and refrigeration experts, electricians, fire alarm technicians, architects, painters, carpenters and biomedical technicians. Whatever your need, x2241, the trouble report desk, is the place to call. Barbara Phelps and Cindy Perkins will take down the informa-tion and forward it to the right division. Keep that number handy. Holiday Fun Set The medical center's holiday dinner has been slated for Thursday, Dec. 14. This year's menu features prime rib and chicken. The holiday committee is planning to organize a group of carolers to sing to employees in line for dinner. If you are interested in singing, contact Gloria Backman at x2373. And start planning your depart-ment decorating scheme. The theme is Disney Holidays. Watch for more details in Pulse