Smallpox vaccines prepared

Community Hospital of McCook is gearing up for any possible smallpox outbreaks which may result from terrorist attacks.

Peggy Smalley, risk management/infection control coordinator at Community Hospital, told the Board of Directors this morning Community Hospital will vaccinate three volunteers after the holidays to prepare for a possible outbreak of the once eradicated disease.

The smallpox virus was declared to be eradicated in 1980, but samples of the virus were kept in laboratories around the world for study. It is possible some of those samples are now being used to build biological weapons.

With that in mind, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been working to replenish the supply of vaccine. CDC says it now has enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone in America.

U.S. military personnel reportedly will be vaccinated this month and the vaccine will be released to hospitals after the holidays, Smalley said.

The newly-formed regional health department, along with area hospitals, have been told by the state of Nebraska to develop a plan of action, should the country come under attack with the smallpox virus.

Smalley told the board the CDC has mandated that, should a smallpox outbreak occur, the vaccine should be distributed to every citizen within five to eight days.

Nebraska Health and Human Services believes the state can accomplish the task in four days, Smalley said.

Smalley explained that should the need for the vaccine arise, it can be obtained within 12 hours of a reported outbreak. The vaccine takes 3-4 days to become effective.

Jim Ulrich, Vice President Finance and Support, reported the hospital had an excess of revenue over expenses of $53,000 for the first quarter ending Sept. 30.

He told the board that while both in-patient and out-patient services were up over the same quarter last year, the outpatient revenue experienced the largest growth.

Ulrich attributed much of that to an increase in the magnetic images services and increased nuclear medicine cardiac studies. He also reported an increase in outpatient operating room procedures, anesthesia, ultrasound and emergency room procedures.

The hospital reported total assets of $13.8 million up from $13.0 in 2002.

Ulrich said the increase in total assets was primarily due to property and equipment additions for the new computer system and new medical office building.

And, Ulrich said, the hospital's long-term debt is up because of the medical office building addition.