Texas Health Presbyterian nurses walk arm in arm on their way to a press conference defending the hospital outside Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas on Monday, October 20, 2014. The first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States, Thomas Eric Duncan was treated at this hospital. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Don’t point fingers at Presby
I’m a registered nurse, native of Dallas and now living in northeast Tennessee.
I recently visited my home city, and I have been asked about the “terror” supposedly being experienced by Dallasites regarding the recent Ebola events.
I saw no terror-stricken people at all in Dallas. I talked to friends concerned for those stricken or being watched for symptoms.
They are upset about how this episode impacts the fine reputation of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. Hospitals must evaluate and treat those who arrive at their doors.
The presenting symptoms of the man from Liberia are symptoms of other common viruses. Like other U.S. health care facilities, Presbyterian observes “universal precautions.”
If this patient had presented at any hospital other than the four Ebola-trained facilities, the scenario would have been the same. Other hospitals may say they would have done better, but they are really relieved they weren’t put to that test. Ebola is new to U.S. shores.
There seems to be a lot of finger-pointing and rumor, which needs to stop. Let’s take care of those stricken, protect caregivers and fix the national health care community that failed to provide information/education to caregivers.
My mom was an OB nurse, I was a newborn and junior volunteer at Baylor. I know Presbyterian’s excellent reputation and care.
My thoughts and prayers are with victims and caregivers who face fears resulting from exposure and the knowledge that Presbyterian may not recover from this incident.
Jeanne Terrell Alexander, Kingsport, Tenn.
Laundry workers’ exposure
I’m worried! For 23 years I worked at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in the position of director of laundry and linen services.
It was me and my staff who handled all the contaminated linens coming from isolation cases. Rarely did we receive a batch that had been bagged and sealed correctly.
Even more problematic was the unceasing flow of sharp objects coming into the laundry.
I wrote untold dozens of incident reports detailing these breaches, but it seemed nobody cared if the mere laundry workers’ lives and safety were being jeopardized.
I believe the only way to stop Ebola is to secure our borders, including the southern one. Hospitals may easily and unknowingly spread the infection.
Larry Johnson, Mesquite