Mock Drill Research Paper
WOOSTER — A couple of months ago, the Wayne County Health Department’s nurses and staff were commended for how it handled an outbreak in a mock drill, and in May, the training was put into practice for real.
Environmental Health Director Vaughn Anderson and communicable disease nurse Ali Frey gave Board of Health members an after-action report regarding a salmonella outbreak that began on May 8 when a number of people ate at Oak Grove Eatery (which has since closed due to the outbreak).
It all began May 9 when a caller to the front desk at the Environmental Health Unit complained he and two others ate burgers and eggs Benedict at a restaurant on Mother’s Day and became ill. The following day, sanitarian Steve Rich is assigned to do an inspection …show more content…
This was his first one, and it sort of served as an initiation.
The situation was fluid as more information came in. It was initially thought only those who ate the eggs Benedict became sick, but Anderson and others discovered some people ate burgers topped with an egg and the hollandaise sauce, which seemed to be the common denominator in those getting sick due to salmonella.
“There was a strong epidemiological connection between the hollandaise sauce and all those who became sick,” Frey said.
Conducting the follow-up interviews with those who became ill and others who were ate at the restaurant was the time-consuming aspect of managing the outbreak, Frey said.
After the interviews were wrapped up, the information had to be entered into a state reporting system. Nurses stayed in contact with a state epidemiologist, who offered guidance on testing and questions to ask.
Two successes came out of the situation, Frey said. One was the collaboration with the Ohio Department of Health and other local health departments (eight of those who became ill were from other counties). The other was the collaboration and coordination within the health departments two
Environmental Health Director Vaughn Anderson and communicable disease nurse Ali Frey gave Board of Health members an after-action report regarding a salmonella outbreak that began on May 8 when a number of people ate at Oak Grove Eatery (which has since closed due to the outbreak).
It all began May 9 when a caller to the front desk at the Environmental Health Unit complained he and two others ate burgers and eggs Benedict at a restaurant on Mother’s Day and became ill. The following day, sanitarian Steve Rich is assigned to do an inspection …show more content…
This was his first one, and it sort of served as an initiation.
The situation was fluid as more information came in. It was initially thought only those who ate the eggs Benedict became sick, but Anderson and others discovered some people ate burgers topped with an egg and the hollandaise sauce, which seemed to be the common denominator in those getting sick due to salmonella.
“There was a strong epidemiological connection between the hollandaise sauce and all those who became sick,” Frey said.
Conducting the follow-up interviews with those who became ill and others who were ate at the restaurant was the time-consuming aspect of managing the outbreak, Frey said.
After the interviews were wrapped up, the information had to be entered into a state reporting system. Nurses stayed in contact with a state epidemiologist, who offered guidance on testing and questions to ask.
Two successes came out of the situation, Frey said. One was the collaboration with the Ohio Department of Health and other local health departments (eight of those who became ill were from other counties). The other was the collaboration and coordination within the health departments two