Ascension - MD

Ebola Outbreak News

The following communication comes to us from the Ascension Infection Prevention Team:

As you are aware, there is an active outbreak of Ebola circulating primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and less so in neighboring Uganda.  

In response to this, Infection Prevention partnered closely with our Emergency Preparedness, Associate Occupational Health and other key stakeholders to update our Ebola Toolkit. 

Action required:  

• Please utilize this toolkit  and huddle card. 

• Please take a moment to review the toolkit with your team and safety officers.

Some key highlights include: 

For expected cases:

• Acute care settings: For suspected or confirmed EVD patients, mask the patient and any family contacts. Place the patient in negative pressure airborne isolation and healthcare workers are to use personal protective equipment (PPE) per CDC guidelines outlined in our toolkit.   

• Ambulatory care settings: Patients who are suspected or confirmed to have EVD, along with family/caregivers, should be masked (regular mask) and placed in an exam room with the door closed. The PPE requirements are the same as the acute care setting and outlined in the toolkit.    

• Many hospital-approved disinfectants kill the virus, but bleach is recommended for its availability and ease of use.

• If an associate has potential exposure to a patient with EVD or is returning from the DRC or Uganda, please contact your local Associate Occupational Health department, link here. 

• Report all suspected cases to the public health department and the expectation is that you will be notified immediately as well.  IF you are notified please notify your national IP team as soon as possible for any needed support (24/7). 

Questions or concerns: Please contact Lisa Sturm, Nicole Nomides and Tina Jacobs for any questions related to the toolkit or the national response plan.  

Note: For questions related to Ascension Living, please contact Tammy Kroll.

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