| Ebola Information |
| NY Times Ebola Safety Lessons |
| Perspective: Ebola Around the World |
There is no higher mission than the health and safety of our members, patients and the public. SEIU has been involved in the Ebola response across the country, providing communications, training and advocacy in every facility in which our members operate.
In Miami, SEIU Local 1991 has been working with Jackson management to ensure that proper protocols are established to respond appropriately should a suspected or confirmed case of Ebola occur at Jackson. It is important to keep this public health concern in proportion.
JHS is forming working groups that will include SEIU members to guide the hospital system on proper protective equipment (PPE), decontamination, patient flow and every other aspect of the response.
Below find our current official position on this issue, which will evolve as circumstances dictate:
Statement from SEIU Local 1991 president Martha Baker, RN:
“Our goal is to ensure that all our nurses, doctors and healthcare workers are prepared to confidently and efficiently execute CDC protocols to maximize the health and safety of staff, our patients and the public. Jackson has a long history of successfully managing public health crises, from AIDS in the 1980s to the flu. All our healthcare professionals use proper infection controls on a daily basis.
The Ebola response requires that everyone is armed with the necessary resources — including training, adequate staffing, and access to proper equipment — to effectively limit exposure and provide safe, quality care according to CDC guidelines.
We are calling on Jackson and other area hospitals to provide additional training and resources as necessary to keep everyone’s skills sharp and ready to go, not only for healthcare professionals, but also the support staff responsible for cleaning and disinfecting.”