Code Orange plan exercised at LGH

Just last week (Sept. 19), LGH physicians and staff met to discuss and practice the LGH Code Orange response plan. This plan is activated when there’s an event that results in numerous people requiring immediate care in a short space of time.

The session practice session involved a review of the plan, a discussion of Emergency Department (ED) and hospital triage strategies, and a 2-hour table-top exercise with a bus accident on the Upper Levels Highway as the emergency scenario.

The table-top exercise — facilitated with help from ED Manager Angeline Bierstee and PCC Anita Sanghara — used a floor plan of the ED and had physicians decide on how best to move patients and staff to maximize space for immediate care. Physicians also discussed roles and responsibilities during the event.

The training was timely, as just a couple of days earlier there was an event in Ottawa between a train and a bus. This real-life event brought home the reality that a Code Orange event could occur any time, and when it does, it requires a well-prepared, well-executed plan.