Ebola Preparedness at Methodist Healthcare Hospitals

Though NO cases of the Ebola Virus Disease have been found in San Antonio, Methodist Healthcare is following all recommendations of the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of Health in the event that we should receive a patient infected with Ebola.

At Methodist Healthcare the safety of our patients, staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors is always a top priority. We have a robust infection control system, and our staff is trained and prepared to take care of patients with a variety of infectious diseases, including Ebola. In addition, we have an Epidemiologic Emergency policy in place.

Our standard policy is to use universal precautions for every patient, in addition, we have specific practices for Ebola, which include:

  • Isolation of patients with Ebola from contact with unprotected persons
  • Wearing of protective clothing (including masks, gloves, impermeable gowns, and goggles or face shields) by persons caring for Ebola patients
  • The use of other infection-control measures (such as complete equipment sterilization and routine use of disinfectant)
  • Avoid touching the bodies of patients who have died from Ebola

In addition, we have specific practices in place to help identify and manage potential cases. These include:

  • A screening tool to document contagious respiratory illnesses combined with recent travel outside the U.S.
  • Isolation precautions for patients who exhibit symptoms and have recently traveled to affected areas
  • Use of personal protective equipment by caregivers
  • Rigorous use of effective disinfection practices for equipment, supplies and other material used in providing care for the patient
  • Internal communications among care-givers to limit potential exposure
  • Immediate reporting to our local health department

We have created this site as a resource for the community and for health care workers as a way to connect you with information related to the virus. Please also follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive news and information from Methodist Healthcare.

Note to health care workers:
Methodist Healthcare is the first healthcare system in the country to incorporate the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Ebola information onto a hospital website. While the main CDC website covers information for a very broad audience, the microsite is built specifically for U.S. healthcare workers and contains the latest information you will need to know as it relates to Ebola.

Information for Healthcare Workers
(Provided by the CDC)