Relationship between hospital, nursing home makes for smooth evacuation
Monday, January 30, 2006 -- Craig Anderson
Evacuations drills in the event of fire or other major catastrophe are a routine safety measure at the Algonquin Nursing Home in Mattawa, Ontario, forty miles east of North Bay.

So a phone call to the home of Vala Belter, director of nursing, at 1:20 am on Sunday, January 22nd wasn’t a cause for serious alarm. It was however, unlikely, as the director was asked to receive evacuated palliative patients from the Mattawa Hospital, after a small fire broke out in an electrical panel in the physiotherapy unit.

“It reinforced the importance of having plans and for having a high level of preparedness,” says Belter. “It was a first as we have never done a drill on people coming in to the home.”

The nursing home, first asked to take four patients, decided that due to limited space they would use the activities room as a temporary “ward.” When the four was pared to two, available beds made the measure unnecessary.

The incident also highlighted the necessity of having enough resources and beds available in the event the small community faced another similar crisis. The Mattawa Hospital, housed in temporary portable structures since 1967, is still awaiting funding for new facilities. The hospital, flanked by North Bay General in the West and Deep River in the East, doesn’t provide a full range of hospital services, although according to Belter it “serves a wonderful purpose” as a re-hab location and is adept at stabilizing patients.

The temporary move of the two palliative patients to the Mattawa Hospital underscored an upside often seen in small community health services provision – cooperation. Hospital staff brought family members to help with the evacuation, and nursing home staff responded in kind, preparing sandwiches and refreshments for all who chipped in. The patient’s families spent the first night at Algonquin with their loved ones. The whole transfer was so calm, says Belter, that the patients were asleep again within an hour.

“I think it showed the families that we are very professional,” says Belter, “and that we share a good relationship with the hospital staff.”

The late night fire, which didn’t significantly affect hospital services, marked the first time that two local paramedics, Emile and Mandy Lefebvre (father and daughter respectively), were brought together on duty. The evacuation was overseen by the head nurse at the hospital, who was also, coincidentally, Emile’s wife Patsy.

“I was very impressed with everything,” says Belter, “it was a smooth, calm operation.”

The nursing home, says Belter, will undertake evacuation procedures in the future in less than favourable conditions.

“For example, what if we had been doing this evacuation in really bad weather?” she asks.

The question concerning funding, especially for a new, more adequate hospital, and for an increased number of beds in the nursing home to handle evacuations or other crises, remains one awaited with eager anticipation.