Arkansas hospitals in prep mode ahead of eclipse

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - With the influx of people coming to central Arkansas for the eclipse, everyone is in preparation mode, including hospitals.

More people in the area means even more risk for accidents. Lindsay Dumas, vice president of education for the Arkansas Hospital Association, said preparations have been underway for quite a while.

"Arkansas hospitals have been preparing for Monday's total solar eclipse for more than a year now," Dumas said. "Going into this weekend, each hospital has its own highly customized preparedness plan based on its specific needs."

She continued to describe how each hospital addresses possible needs based on location.

"Hospitals have had time to use visitor influx projections to plan for supplemental staffing, materials, food, and medical supplies based on their facility's bed size, location relative to the path of totality, and resources used during typical business operations," Dumas said.

Dumas added that coordination with other agencies was part of the master plan.

"We have worked in close collaboration with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health, and the Division of Emergency Management – as well as with our state's emergency responders," she said. "As always, Arkansas hospitals are ready to care not only for Arkansans in their own communities but also for the visitors who are just now beginning to arrive in the state."

More specifically, UAMS Emergency Management Executive Director Wright Cookus said preparing for the eclipse is like preparing for severe weather in that there is an influx of people and traffic in town, and anything could happen.

"Our emergency outpatient center will be open starting Sunday morning we'll be there through Tuesday late afternoon then make a decision after that based on traffic," Cookus said.

Cookus said while UAMS is prepared for patients to come in for a variety of things, when it comes to eclipse day, it's important to be aware of your surroundings, use proper filters when taking pictures and wear eclipse eyeglasses to protect your vision.

from KARK https://ift.tt/p6xWiq4