The release of hazardous materials—whether accidental or intentional—has the potential to significantly harm the health of community members and first responders. That’s why staff at Aspirus Wausau Hospital (AWH) conducted decontamination training this week.

Mary Reissman has been with Aspirus for 28 years and is the Environment of Care Coordinator. She organized the team of five trainers and over 30 Aspirus employees for the team.

“Our trainers and team members come from all different areas in the hospital from security to surgery,” says Mary. “Each person brings a unique set of skills to the team.”

Members of the team trained on properly putting on their hazard suits, setting up the decontamination tents and how to clean off any contaminated individuals.

Laura Scheck is a Registered Nurse in the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit who volunteered to be on the team. “This sounded like a great opportunity to help out my community in a time of crisis,” says Laura. “I hope we never have to put this team into action, but I would be more than ready to go if needed.” 

No matter the cause, patients will require emergent medical care delivered by a team of healthcare providers. A chemical spill or biological hazard is more than a danger to the outside environment.

“We do this for the simple fact that patient care could become critically affected in the event of a hazardous event,” says Ed Radtke, manager of emergency management and environment of care at AWH. “Some chemicals could enter the facility physically or through the air system. The decontamination process will protect our staff and patients in the hospital.”

AWH and the Aspirus campus in Stevens Point are both Health Care Receiver sites. Therefore, each facility is required to hold annual training. The Aspirus team holds quarterly training.

“Our training goes above and beyond because we want our team to be engaged,” says Radtke.

Overall, it’s a resource that nobody wants to see activated. However, the staff at AWH is more than prepared to jump into action if needed.

For more information, visit aspirus.org.