Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), AnMed Health and County engage local mayors in preparation efforts

On Wednesday, local officials met to discuss the pending flu season. DHEC is taking the lead to bring community leaders and healthcare partners together with the goal of reaching out to the local communities and providing assistance with establishing continuity of operations plans for government, businesses and homes.

“A tremendous amount of planning and preparation brought us to today,” said Don Peace, DHEC Region I Director of Public Health Preparedness. “We began pandemic tabletop drills more than 5 years ago when the CDC began sounding the alarm about newer, tougher strains of the flu on the horizon. This gathering today represents our desire to reach out to the local leaders and strengthen our network to mitigate the consequences of H1N1. After all, we are in this together and it will take local planning by local leaders to respond to and plan for the threats, while taking a proactive stance to community related concerns.”

AnMed Health’s preparations for this flu season started in April when H1N1 first appeared in South Carolina. During the months that followed, the health system, along with the county, DHEC and other health related agencies, was able to test its pandemic flu plan. Changes are already being made as a result of that experience. For example, it became obvious that the plan did not account for situations where flu is widespread but not necessarily severe.

“Flu season is never business as usual, but the combination of a novel flu and seasonal flu is something we’ve never faced,” said Todd O’Quinn, AnMed Health’s director of safety. “Like many other hospitals across the state, we’re preparing as best we can. We’re assessing supplies and staffing levels, educating our workforce and reviewing patient care protocols. By taking these steps we should be prepared for whatever the flu season brings.”

“Anderson County is proud to partner with DHEC, AnMed Health and other health agencies to make our County a healthier place,” said Anderson County Council Chairman Eddie Moore. “This is another great example of what we can accomplish when we work together. It is imperative that we educate the public about the upcoming flu season, symptoms to watch for and ways that residents can keep their families safe and healthy. Although we can hope for the best, we must work together to be prepared for the worst.”

Upstate residents can take a number of steps to help prevent the spread of disease. The best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Every year, AnMed Health Healthy Business provides approximately 2,500 flu shots to workers at local businesses. For more information on scheduling a flu shot clinic at your business, call (864) 512-2365.

Other ways to stay healthy this flu season are as follows:
Avoid close contact with those who are sick. A good rule of thumb is to try to stay at least three feet away.
Wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water aren’t readily available.
Cough into your elbow, not your hands.

If you do get sick, stay home and minimize your contact with others. This means avoiding travel and not going to work or school for seven days after your symptoms begin or until you’ve been symptom-free for 24 hours. If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a face mask and cover your coughs and sneezes.

Visit www.flu.gov or scdhec.gov/flu/swine-flu.htm for information about how to prevent the flu. For up-to-date information and flu clinic schedules, you may contact the Anderson County Health Department’s Flu line at 864.260.5674.