Orders are no guarantee of protection

Robert Brandon Ledbetter was sitting in a prison cell in 2011 when he ordered his girlfriend, Crystal Fyffe, killed for snitching to police about his drug dealing.

Several years later, federal prosecutors obtained a court order prohibiting Ledbetter and other defendants in the home-grown Short North Posse from intimidating witnesses in the racketeering, drug and murder prosecution that by last year had sent 19 of them to prison.

Medical Center.

A key piece of any effort is the Central Ohio Trauma System, a network of health-care professionals prepared to respond to crises in the community. They’re the “go-to experts,” said Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer at Wexner.

The group helps coordinate responses among hospitals, police and fire departments, emergency medical services and other groups. This coordination and communication gives the Columbus area an edge, Thomas said

“We don’t sit back and let somebody else have a problem and not chip in to help,” he said.

Local hospitals have been involved in such recent emergencies as the June slaying of two women and a police chief at a Kirkersville nursing home; a terror attack that injured 11 people on Ohio State’s campus in November; a 2015 botulism outbreak stemming from a church picnic in Lancaster; and local preparedness for the 2014-16 ebola outbreak in western African.

All hospitals complete an annual hazard-vulnerability assessment, reviewing different scenarios and potential risks, said Jodi Wilson, vice president of emergency services for the Mount Carmel Health System. They then train staff members and perform drills at least twice a year based on how they would respond.

At times, they train together. In April, a mock terrorist attack was coordinated by the Central Ohio Trauma System. Actors portrayed 500 mass-casualty victims at Mapfre Stadium, Otterbein University and John Glenn Columbus International Airport.

Hospital employees got a taste of what an influx of patients would look like, and then underwent debriefings to see how their facilities could improve. The exercise led Mount Carmel administrators, for example, to change procedures for quickly registering a large number of patients.

Niki Long, emergency preparedness coordinator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said there are plans for dealing not only with community disasters, but also with things that could happen within the hospital’s walls. A goal is to be selfsustaining until the federal government could respond.

“We try to prepare so that we can continue normal operations, even in the face of disaster,” Long said.

Hospitals have staff members on the ready at all times to respond to disasters and implement emergency protocols when required. In such cases, the institutions set up command centers to prepare for an influx of patients. All hospitals follow a national system that integrates with public-health and other

“We don’t sit back and let somebody else have a problem and not chip in to help.”

— Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer at Wexner Medical Center

government agencies.

Special communication procedures are implemented in case landlines and cell service are disrupted. A multi-agency radio system operates throughout Ohio to link government agencies and hospitals. And many hospitals have methods of disseminating information internally.

Documents are frequently backed up, and backup systems are in remote locations.

Wilson said hospitals are required to have enough supplies to last four days. They also have contracts with vendors to get food, linens, medications and supplies quickly.

During an emergency, elective surgeries would be postponed, and hospitals would focus on urgent cases while designating off-site locations for the walking wounded, Wilson said.

Emergency management officials from various hospital systems meet regularly.

Coordination among hospitals in central Ohio is “absolutely one of our strengths,” said Brian Saul, system director for the environment of care and safety at OhioHealth. He said preparedness coordinators around the region meet regularly and are on a first-name basis.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency considers hospitals critical infrastructures when an area has been hit by a disaster, Saul said.

“People’s health-care needs become different and greater,” he said, adding that it’s important for hospitals to remain open.

Saul said local officials probably will review flooding protocols in light of the recent storms in Texas and Florida.

Past events, including last year’s nightclub shooting in Orlando and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, also have helped local hospitals learn and modify plans.

“Bad things happen, but that brings out the best in people,” said Wexner’s Gregory. “There are always good lessons learned in those areas.”