Last Updated on August 30, 2018 8:20 am
Boone, NC [August 29, 2018]–On Saturday, September 8th, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System along with Blowing Rock Fire & Rescue, Watauga Rescue Squad, Boone Fire Department, Watauga Medics, and Watauga County Emergency Management will participate in an emergency training exercise.
The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs, requires hospitals to have emergency response plans in place and conduct periodic training exercises to test preparedness, measure response time, and enable staff to keep their skills sharp.
The exercise, being facilitated by Crisis Focus, LLC, provides an opportunity for healthcare system staff and first responders to test their skills and engage in cross-agency collaboration.
“The goal of the training exercise is to assess the healthcare system’s ability to evacuate a healthcare facility and our ability to accept a surge of patients,” said Chuck Mantooth, President and CEO of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. “Exercises like these are essential to ensure a rapid and adequate response from our employees in case of a real life emergency.”
During the exercise, from 9 am to 2 pm, the community can expect to see emergency responders at The Foley Center, Watauga Medical Center and Cannon Memorial Hospital looking and acting as if it were a true crisis incident. This exercise should not interfere with local traffic or events. Normal hospital emergency department operations and patient care will not be affected by the training exercise in any way.
