Skip to main content
Mobile
  • Finance, Accounting & Economics
  • Global Business Management
  • Management, Leadership & Organisation
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Strategy
  • Technology & Operations
HS Talks HS Talks
Subjects  
Search
  • Notifications
    Notifications

    No current notifications.

  • User
    Welcome Guest
    You have Limited Access The Business & Management Collection
    Login
    Get Assistance
    Login
    Forgot your password?
    Login via your organisation
    Login via Organisation
    Get Assistance
Finance, Accounting & Economics
Global Business Management
Management, Leadership & Organisation
Marketing & Sales
Strategy
Technology & Operations
You currently don't have access to this journal. Request access now.
Practice paper

‘An abundance of caution’ and Ebola in the US Healthcare System: What is the new normal?

Randy D. Kearns and Larry E. Leaming
Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 8 (4), 317-325 (2015)
https://doi.org/10.69554/RYRK4406

Abstract

Roosevelt General Hospital (RGH) is a small (24 bed) community hospital based in Portales, New Mexico, USA. RGH serves several towns and communities along the New Mexico/Texas border to include the enlisted and officer population of Cannon US Air Force Base as well as the civilian support and families for air force personnel. The area is also home to multiple retired and discharged military personnel who continue working in various roles as civilian contractors. As the care for the first US diagnosed patient with Ebola played out in neighbouring Texas (October 2014), a patient presented to the RGH clinic with a fever of unknown origin. Initially, there was a misunderstanding between the clinician and the patient regarding a recent international travel history. During the assessment, an ensuing discussion revealed that the patient had been in or near the area where the current West African Ebola outbreak is ongoing approximately 10 days before the onset of his fever. While it was later determined that the patient was not infected with Ebola, the fact that a potentially infected patient had entered the hospital and had been in close contact with visitors and clinicians alike was disturbing to staff and administration. The continued operation of this hospital was and remains critical to the communities served. This story focuses on a local effort to manage a local concern relying on recent and historical emergency planning and preparedness efforts.

Keywords: Ebola; viral haemorrhagic fever; hospital preparedness; rural hospital; personal protective equipment

The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.

Already a subscriber? Login or review other options.

Author's Biography

Randy D. Kearns is the Chair for the Division of Healthcare, Computer Informatics and Quantitative Studies in the Tillman School of Business, at the University of Mount Olive. Dr Kearns is a retired Clinical Assistant Professor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine. Dr Kearns earned his master of science in administration from Central Michigan University and holds a doctorate in health administration and executive leadership from the Medical University of South Carolina.

Larry E. Leaming is the chief executive officer for the Roosevelt General Hospital in Portales, New Mexico. Dr Leaming has been in an executive healthcare leadership role in small rural hospitals for more than 25 years and also currently serves as an adjunct professor for a doctoral programme in healthcare administration.

Citation

Kearns, Randy D. and Leaming, Larry E. (2015, March 1). ‘An abundance of caution’ and Ebola in the US Healthcare System: What is the new normal?. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 8, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/RYRK4406.

Options

  • Download PDF
  • Share this page
    Share This Article
    Messaging
    • Outlook
    • Gmail
    • Yahoo!
    • WhatsApp
    Social
    • Facebook
    • X
    • LinkedIn
    • VKontakte
    Permalink
cover image, Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning
Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning
Volume 8 / Issue 4
© Henry Stewart
Publications LLP

The Business & Management Collection

  • ISSN: 2059-7177
  • Contact Us
  • Request Free Trial
  • Recommend to Your Librarian
  • Subscription Information
  • Match Content
  • Share This Collection
  • Embed Options
  • View Quick Start Guide
  • Accessibility

Categories

  • Finance, Accounting & Economics
  • Global Business Management
  • Management, Leadership & Organisation
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Strategy
  • Technology & Operations

Librarian Information

  • General Information
  • MARC Records
  • Discovery Services
  • Onsite & Offsite Access
  • Federated (Shibboleth) Access
  • Usage Statistics
  • Promotional Materials
  • Testimonials

About Us

  • About HSTalks
  • Editors
  • Contact Information
  • About the Journals

HSTalks Home

Follow Us On:

HS Talks
  • Site Requirements
  • Copyright & Permissions
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
© Copyright Henry Stewart Talks Ltd

Personal Account Required

To use this function, you need to be signed in with a personal account.

If you already have a personal account, please login here.

Otherwise you may sign up now for a personal account.

HS Talks

Cookies and Privacy

We use cookies, and similar tools, to improve the way this site functions, to track browsing patterns and enable marketing. For more information read our cookie policy and privacy policy.

Cookie Settings

How Cookies Are Used

Cookies are of the following types:

  • Essential to make the site function.
  • Used to analyse and improve visitor experience.

For more information see our Cookie Policy.

Some types of cookies can be disabled by you but doing so may adversely affect functionality. Please see below:

(always on)

If you block these cookies or set alerts in your browser parts of the website will not work.

Cookies that provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. If not allowed functionality may be impaired.

Cookies that count and track visits and on website activity enabling us to organise the website to optimise the experience of users. They may be blocked without immediate adverse effect.