The Infection Control Department is responsible for managing our infection control program, including monitoring of infections, reporting communicable diseases to the Public Health Department, conducting employee and physician infection control training, and sponsoring annual community flu clinics for high-risk individuals. Our Medical Advisor is a board certified infectious disease specialist. In addition to providing guidance to our Infection Control Department, the Advisor is available to consult with physicians regarding patients with unusual diseases or conditions.

We take every precaution to ensure that infection control standards are maintained throughout the Hospital. Our infection control measures include:

• Proper identification and treatment of infectious diseases
  
  
• Engineering systems to prevent the transmission of infectious agents
  
  
• Protective equipment such as gloves, gowns, and masks/goggles
  
  
• Masks and respirators to prevent the spread of airborne pathogens
  
  
• Negative airflow ventilation isolation rooms to prevent air containing airborne pathogens escaping to other areas of the Hospital
  
  
• Sterilization techniques and the use of germicidal cleaning agents to assure the provision of sterile equipment and a clean environment
  
  
• Proper hand washing techniques
  
  
• Annual employee tuberculosis skin tests

For more information about how you can protect your family from infection, click here to view the article entitled Protecting Your Family from Influenza and Infection.

The Threat of Bioterrorism
Recent world events and a heightened concern about bioterrorism have resulted in a greater awareness of infectious disease. We would like to assure our patients and their families that we have addressed these issues on a number of levels for many years. Our staff receives ongoing training about biological agents, emergency preparedness plans, infection control issues, and public health implications. We are proactive in matters of disaster preparedness and our primary objective is to stabilize an incident while protecting life, property, and the environment. Potential bioterrorism acts that once seemed far-fetched in the United States have become a disturbing possibility.

We have a formal disaster plan that includes infection control as a key component. Our internal plan is connected to the community's infrastructure by the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (HEICS). HEICS is a flexible management system that creates an organized division of tasks, methods of communication, and a common language for use by hospital management to minimize turmoil during a crisis. The plan allows multiple agencies in the community to work together with minimal confusion. In a crisis, hospitals, law enforcement, fire departments, and rescue personnel can effectively communicate and mobilize under this system.

You may contact our Epidemiology Department weekdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at (909) 920-4815.