ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL IN BUCKHANNON CARED FOR PATIENTS DURING HURRICANE SANDY AND ITS AFTERMATH

            St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon cared for patients during Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath, which left many parts of the county with impassable roads and without power. 

            “Our staff began preparing for Hurricane Sandy on Monday, October 29th, with a meeting of the hospital’s Department Managers to discuss Emergency Management Planning in anticipation of the storm,” said Sue Johnson-Phillippe, President and CEO of St. Joseph's Hospital.  “The state of West Virginia had activated its Emergency Command Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital went on Code Triage-Standby, meaning that we were on alert should we need to fully activate our Hospital Incident Command Center.”

            “St. Joseph’s Hospital did not lose power during the storm, so we were not forced to go on emergency power or to fully activate our Emergency Management Plan.  Our Emergency room remained open and fully functional throughout the storm.”

            “Many of our staff had great difficulty getting to the hospital due to storm damage,” said Johnson-Phillippe, “but others came in and stayed over in the hospital to ensure adequate coverage for our patients.  Our staff performed admirably in the face of serious weather threats to themselves and their families.”