JOPLIN, Mo. — Officials at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin said they will open a “mobile” hospital to treat patients while deciding if their facility, badly damaged by a deadly tornado Sunday, can be restored.
Lynn Britton, president and chief executive officer of Sisters of Mercy Health System, of which the hospital is a part, said Wednesday that a 60-bed mobile hospital will be in place by Sunday in Joplin, offering a full array of services including emergency, surgery, imaging, lab and inpatient care. It will be able to withstand 100 mph winds.
Longer-term plans for the hospital are being discussed, and a board meeting will be held this week to continue the planning effort, Britton said Wednesday at a news conference.
Gary Pulsipher, president and chief executive officer of the hospital, said structural engineers have been sent into the nine-story building that was hit squarely by Sunday’s twister to see whether it canbe saved. If it cannot be saved, administrators will have to decide where to build a new hospital, he said.
The 370-bed hospital, which sustained significant damage, may not be salvageable, Pulsipher said.
“Structural engineers have been examining the building for days, and we expect to receive a report this week,” he said.
The hospital took a direct hit from an EF5 tornado that struck Sunday evening. Five patients, most of whom were in critical care, were killed, Pulsipher said.
“It was truly like a bomb went off in there on every floor,” Pulsipher said Wednesday.
In all, the tornado killed 125 and injured 750 as it tore through the city, officials said.
After the tornado hit, St. John’s evacuated 183 patients, transferring them to the Freeman Health System hospital in Joplin, which was unharmed by the tornado, and to hospitals in Springfield, Mo.; Northwest Arkansas; and Oklahoma.
Britton said Wednesday that St. John’s employees who aren’t working at the mobile hospital will be offered jobs at sister hospitals or other health-care providers in the area. The Sisters of Mercy Health System has other hospitals and clinics in Missouri and neighboring states.
“We are working tirelessly to find them gainful employment,” Britton said.
Hospital spokesman Cynthia Mercer said St. John’s is trying to account for all of its more than 2,000 employees. The hospital established a command center at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center to account for and assist employees.
Mercer said employees are being encouraged to come in or call (888) 98-MERCY (63729) to confirm they are safe.
The command center provides on-site counseling and other types of support, Mercer said. Employees continue to be paid, she said, and other financial assistance is available.
Information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press.
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 05/26/2011