Staff Report
Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (SYVCH) Emergency Department staff got “suited up” during their annual environmental HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) training drill at 2050 Viborg Road in Solvang on June 27. Thirty-four SYVCH staff as well as representatives from the Santa Barbara County Public Health, County Emergency Medical Services and members of the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Water Polo team (who served as volunteer patients) all participated during the four-hour training. This training drill was a mandatory annual competency for all SYVCH Emergency Department employees.
“Our staff is ready for any environmental HAZMAT situation such as chemical, mechanical, physical or biological exposures. This special training allows employees to put on personal protective equipment in a controlled setting, so when the time comes, they will know how to do so quickly and efficiently. Additionally, we received specialized instruction on triage procedures post-decontamination and practiced erecting a tent containing a special shower for decontaminating patients,” said Nicole Huff, R.N., SYVCH Emergency Department Clinical Manager.
About Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital
Founded in 1964, the not-for-profit Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (SYVCH) located at 2050 Viborg Road in Solvang, provides high quality outpatient surgical services, inpatient care, comprehensive imaging (including MRI, CT, digital mammography, ultrasound, X-ray), cardiac rehabilitation program, physicians specialty clinic and 24-hour emergency services. SYVCH is part of the not-for-profit Cottage Health, the leader in providing advanced medical care to the Central Coast region. Specialties include the Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Center, Neuroscience Institute, Heart & Vascular Center, Center for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Hospital. In 2017, the Cottage Health hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley provided inpatient care for 20,000 people, treated 78,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,200 newborns. For more information, call 805-688-6431 or visit www.cottagehealth.org/syvch
