Ebola Preparedness: Taking Necessary Precautions, Monitoring Developments

The arrival of the deadly Ebola virus in the United States has triggered concern for the general public and has also put healthcare facilities on a heightened state of alert.

Baptist Health South Florida is prepared to safely and effectively handle any potential cases of the virus and is taking all of the necessary precautions to protect patients and staff. All Baptist Health facilities follow the guidelines established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in preparing for and managing patients diagnosed with Ebola or other infectious diseases.

Emergency preparedness teams at hospitals around the country are reviewing procedures to make sure they are ready to deal with potential situations, should they arise. The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting several countries in West Africa. However, the chances of an Ebola outbreak in the United States are very low, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Dr. John Braden, Baptist Health’s Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness, discusses the Ebola virus. Watch now: