DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Everyone is preparing to be in the path of totality on April 8, including local hospitals.
It almost sounds like a broken record at this point, but the eclipse is closer than ever, and with it hospitals are ready for whatever the day may bring.
According to our partners at the Miami Valley Today, Premier Health/Upper Valley Medical Center (UVMC) in Troy, among others, is ready for the task.
“We have emergency operations plans in place to manage all types of situations and will use those to guide us in determining needs for the eclipse,” Trish Wackler, UVMC chief operating officer and chief nursing officer, told the paper. “We are also partnering with our local EMA (Emergency Management Agency) and the Premier Health system to ensure that we can deliver care to our patients in the community.”
Kettering Health Troy, Wilson Health and Mercy Health St. Rita’s Medical Center are fellow area hospitals that have preparations in place to ensure continued service to patients. The eclipse is sure to present obstacles such as increased traffic, and possible communication issues.
Jenna Green, communications manager for Mercy Health St. Rita’s Medical Center, and Margo O’Leary, spokesman for Wilson Health, emphasized this.
“As our community prepares for an influx of visitors, we have been working closely with the city and other organizations to ensure that we have plans in place to continue serving our patients. With that, traffic seems to be the biggest concern in the region, and we do have contingencies in place to ensure emergency vehicles can get where they need to go,” Green told Miami Valley Today.
“As a hospital and health care provider, we never close, so all operations will be running as normal. Measures have been taken to ensure our hospital is prepared. We’ve stocked up on critical supplies to offset any unexpected shipping delays and adjusted staffing needs in our Emergency Department,” O’Leary said.
