Suburban hospitals keep operating in wake of blizzard
Thanks to smart planning, dedicated employees and plenty of extra sleeping space, hospitals across the suburbs operated normally Wednesday despite the effects of the powerful snowstorm that shut down much of the communities they serve.
Between 60 and 80 staff members — including trauma surgeons, anesthesiologists and obstetricians — spent the night at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, working in shifts to ensure the facility remained fully staffed, said public affairs director Mike Deering.
“When the barometric pressure dives, it sets off expectant mothers,” Deering said. “Fortunately we didn’t have any of those cases.”
Good Shepherd’s emergency room remained busy overnight with patients suffering chest pains and other indicators of cardiac arrest, flu-like symptoms and snowblower related injuries, Deering said.
As a precaution, the hospital arranged to have six snowmobiles available in the event that Route 22 proved impassable. “I don’t know that we’ve used any of them yet. But we have them on the premises, ready to go,” Deering said.
More than 20 Holy Family Medical Center doctors and employees spent the night at the Des Plaines hospital to make sure they would be there Wednesday, said Kristy Lockhart, the hospital’s spokeswoman.
“Quite a few” staff members at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove stayed overnight at the facility Tuesday to ensure adequate staffing throughout the day, hospital spokeswoman Laura Taylor said.
“Staff are being rotated and have sleeping breaks,” Taylor said in an e-mail.
The hospital received a delivery of blood from LifeSource Tuesday night and canceled most elective surgeries scheduled for Wednesday to diminish the need for blood products.
Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora is operating without incident, officials reported. The hospital has normal staffing levels and is not experiencing any shortages of blood, spokeswoman Courtney Satlak said.
Edward Hospital in Naperville conducted elective procedures and had its operating rooms running Wednesday.
“Things are going extremely well,” Vice President of Marketing Brian Davis said Wednesday. “We had more than 100 staff sleep overnight, in conference rooms and offices, to ensure proper staffing today.”
“Hospitals can’t close,” he added. “It may seem obvious, but we are prepared for disasters like this and our staff has been phenomenal.”
In Glendale Heights, patients at Adventist GlenOaks Hospital were well taken care of. Spokeswoman Lisa Parro said the hospital’s food supply and linen stock were replenished as expected.
Doctors and nurses thought well ahead and those who worked Tuesday night stuck around overnight. Meanwhile, those scheduled to work Wednesday arrived Tuesday evening.
As a reward, officials were offering free lunches throughout the day.
“Everyone has come together,” Parro said. “We have enough staff to care for the patients.”
Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village and St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates are “fully staffed and prepared for snow-related injuries,” Matt Wakely, vice-president for communications for Alexian Brothers Hospitals, said Wednesday.
Both hospitals increased emergency room staff to handle a potential influx of patients.
Anticipating the storm, nearly 400 staffers scheduled to work Wednesday morning arrived about 5 p.m. Tuesday and spent the night at the hospitals, Wakely said. About 270 medical professionals reported to St. Alexius and about 125 reported to Alexian Brothers, he added. Other medical personnel stayed in nearby hotels and were transported to the hospitals in four-wheel drive vehicles the medical centers provided.
Those contingency plans initiated earlier this week meant there has been “no disruption in patient care,” Wakely said.
Daily Herald staff writers Sheila Ahern, Justin Kmitch, Marco Santana, Marie Wilson and Barbara Vitello contributed to this report.