A drill planned for Wednesday morning, May 17, will provide Nebraska Medical Center and Bellevue Medical Center an opportunity to practice for a large-scale radiation mass casualty dirty bomb event. Nebraska Medicine is participating in the drill along with other health systems and public health agencies in the Omaha Metro Health Care Coalition in partnership with the Radiation Injury Treatment Network. RITN is a collection of advanced health care organizations that would respond to such an event. Nebraska Medicine has been a member since 2019.
During Wednesday’s drill, people may see mock patients with simulated traumatic injuries and radiation exposure near emergency department entrances, in Storz Pavilion and in other areas of the hospitals. Signs will be placed to remind patients, visitors and colleagues that this is only a drill. Everyone working in a hospital environment, whether at Nebraska Medical Center or Bellevue Medical Center, should review their disaster plans.
“Drills like this are vital for all of us,” said Shelly Schwedhelm, executive director of Emergency Preparedness and Biopreparedness for Nebraska Medicine. “Even for colleagues not directly involved in the drill, it’s essential to know your team’s plan and talk with your co-workers about how your team would respond in a situation like this.”
For the radiation component of the drill, hospital incident command and decontamination teams will be activated. Decon teams will be wearing hazardous materials suits near ambulance bays in the emergency departments. Colleagues working on Nebraska Medicine or UNMC computers during the drill also can expect to see a message banner at the bottom of their computer screen during the drill.
“If patients or visitors ask you about what’s happening, please reassure them that it’s a drill, they are safe, and that this is part of what our experts do regularly to prepare for the unexpected and to be ready to care for people safely and effectively,” Schwedhelm said.