Three of Lehigh Valley's health care organizations say they are prepared to deal with Ebola.

Spokespersons for Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke's University Health Network and Sacred Heart Health Care System said policies are in place to deal with Ebola.

"Our hospital has done several things in preparing for Ebola or any other emerging infectious disease," Terry Burger, RN, Lehigh Valley Health Network's director of infection control, stated in an email to The Press.

"St. Luke's University Health Network is following the CDC [United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines regarding Ebola protocols," Denise Rader, St. Luke's University Health Network Director, Network Media Relations, stated in an email to The Press.

"The Sacred Heart Hospital multi-disciplinary team met to discuss and prepare safe policies and procedures to safely manage a patient with suspected Ebola," Barbara J. Wood, Sacred Heart Health Care System spokesperson, said via email.

Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian diagnosed with the Ebola virus last month, died last week. Duncan was the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S.

Nina Pham, a nurse at Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, who treated Duncan, contracted Ebola. Pham is the first person said to have contracted the virus in this country. Pham was reported to have worn protective gear when in contact with Duncan.

According to the CDC website, as of Oct. 10, based on reports from the World Health Organization updates from information reported by the Ministries of Health, there are 8,400 Ebola cases, 4,656 laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases and 4,033 Ebola-related deaths.

The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting many nations in West Africa.

At Kennedy, Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, Newark Liberty and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, airports, Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection agents are to screen travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, taking their temperatures and observing them for other Ebola symptoms.

Spokespersons for St. Luke's University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network said both institutions are taking measures over and above CDC guidelines.

"Additionally, St. Luke's has an interdisciplinary team meeting weekly to ensure the hospitals and outpatient areas are prepared to screen and to care for patients with Ebola," Rader wrote.

According to Wood at Sacred Heart, Ebola education has been distributed to the hospital's employees.

"We also closely following recommendations from the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health," she added. "Our plan includes triaging patients in the ER. Our emergency room staff upon accessing patients with the possible Ebola symptoms, such as fever, headache and diarrhea will also ask if that patient came from a western African country or an area where there is Ebola transmission.

"We've also developed plans to safely manage the patient with suspected Ebola in both the inpatient and outpatient hospital settings."

Burger listed LVHN's Ebola preparedness response:

·Educational materials prepared and distributed across the hospital network;

·Signage prepared and distributed;

·Clinical guidelines distributed to all providers;

·Supplies stockpiled;

·Comprehensive Ebola policy developed;

·Ongoing education provided;

·Guidance provided for appropriate personal protective attire and procedures for donning and doffing equipment distributed and demonstrated (to prevent transmission);

·Multiple educational outreach in-services provided;

·Initial screening and surveillance guidelines established and communicated (early identification);

·Identified isolation locations (containment);

·Reinforced communication guidelines; and

·Collaborated with a multi-disciplinary group when preparing guidelines and worked within auspices of Emergency Preparedness.