AtlantiCare Confident in Ability to Withstand Storm

Evacuation has not been discussed, but AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center has allowed 40 patients between its Mainland and City campuses to leave in anticipation of an influx of patients this weekend, as Atlantic County braces for impact from Hurricane Irene this weekend.

The 40 patients discharged were patients who had no need to remain at the two medical facilities. The Mainland Campus, in Galloway, was left with 300 patients, and the City Campus was left with 130.

Although the Mainland Campus is filled, other areas not usually used to house patients will be opened up to accommodate unforeseen, incoming patients.

The command center will be open until Monday morning, and patients at the City Campus will be housed in the George F. Lynn Harmony Pavilion, which has the ability to withstand a Category 3 storm, Chief Safety Officer Debra Fox said during a press conference at the City Campus Friday afternoon, Aug. 26.

Additional staff members will be on call, and travel arrangements will be made for them where need be.

"From what we've seen in the forecast, the best thing to do for our patients is to stay put," Fox said."In the event it becomes necessary to move them, we're prepared to do that as well."

The medical centers have the ability to operate on backup power for about 96 hours, and supplies to help sustain the medical centers for that amount of time will be available Saturday morning, Aug. 27.

"We're very confident in our planning, and our ability to execute our plans," Fox said. "We've been planning for this since Monday. We're keeping patients and family members well informed. We've opened patients' phone lines, so that even patients who didn't request a phone may communicate with their families."

All elective cases and surgeries scheduled for this weekend have been postponed until Monday, Aug. 29.

Nurses will also be available to speak with family members of patients who may not be able to communicate.

However, visiting hours have been suspended for Friday night to comply with travel restrictions related to the evacuation of Atlantic City.

Medical offices in Cape May County have already been closed to comply with the mandatory evacuation of that county.

Elsewhere in Galloway Township, the Roland Rogers School has been opened for use as a shelter, and officials planned to meet in an Emergency Management meeting this afternoon.