ALBANY, GA -- Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is holding a training exercise at their main campus simulating a possible influenza outbreak. They're one of about half a dozen medical centers taking part in the drill across Southwest Georgia.
It was overseen by evaluators from the University of Georgia.
“We're testing their surge capacity. Their ability to go above and beyond what their normal patient load would be and their ability to put up beds and be able to serve the community,” said Curt Harris, testing coordinator.
“As a hospital, we're completely full. The other hospital in town is completely full. The pandemic flu is across the whole southeastern part of the country. So when we have checked to see if they have capacity, they're also full,” said Laura Shearer, Chief Nursing Officer at Phoebe.
And while it was practice they say it felt very real and the actual situation is very possible.
“The hospital had to deal with this a couple of years ago in 2009, with the H1N1 crisis and we're looking that it could come back either this year or the next year,” said Harris.
“Preparation is vital in health care to make sure that in a real emergency or disaster, that we know what to do and if we've gone through it in a simulation exercise such as this, then we know how to act when the real one happens,” said Shearer.
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