During a disaster-whether accidentally, naturally, or intentionally introduced, hospital staff must be prepared to respond.
Disasters may involve Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosives (CBRNE) hazards that will require decontamination of patients, advanced personal protective measures for staff, and nontraditional treatment measures.
HERT (Hospital Emergency Response Training) has been established to protect the hospital from contamination when receiving, decontaminating, and triaging victims for further processing into the hospital. CHRISTUS Ochsner St. Patrick has one of two HERT instructors in Southern Louisiana.