The mishandling of an Ebola patient in Dallas and the subsequent infection of two healthcare workers, along with the growing epidemic in Western Africa that has killed almost 4,000, has heightened concerns at U.S. hospitals that more Ebola patients will emerge, pushing them to buy more protective equipment, build new isolation rooms and enhance treatment plans, according to an article on the Chicago Tribune website.
"This is my entire job" now, Michelle Peninger, system director of infection control at Inova Health System, said in the article. "It's all I do every day."
The Inova team "looks at the screening process, waste disposal, how we're going to disinfect the room, post-mortem care, everything," she said. "We're still adding more people as we identify more issues."
Also, failing to identify Ebola, then sending a patient home where they can come into contact and infect others, is a situation hospitals are trying to prevent, the article said.
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