Hospitals go into disaster control mode

Lorrine Thompson, The Olympian

SOUTH SOUND -- More than 50 people were treated for broken bones, muscle sprains and strains, and anxiety-related chest pains and asthma attacks in South Sound hospitals and urgent care clinics after Wednesday's earthquake.

Hospitals were working in disaster control mode, calling in emergency medical staff members and struggling with phone problems in the first hours after the quake, officials said.

One man was admitted to Mason General Hospital for observation, in stable condition after being thrown from a cherry picker, an industrial vehicle used to lift workers.

Another worker thrown from the machine was treated and released.

Providence St. Peter Hospital treated and released 35 people for quake-related injuries and health problems, said spokeswoman Deborah Shawver.

Two people suffered broken bones, while others strained muscles and several reported anxiety-related chest pains and asthma attacks.

"I think we were lucky," Shawver said.

Capital Medical Center treated and released 14 people with quake-related injuries, said spokeswoman Susan Kent.

Both Capital Medical and Group Health Cooperative also reported emergency patients with anxiety-related chest pains.

"There's a lot of anxiety," Kent said.

No injuries of staff members or patients were reported at either hospital, and only minor structural damage was reported. All power, water, electricity, oxygen and other systems were working fine in both hospitals, officials reported.

Three architects inspected St. Peter's and found it to be structurally safe, Shawver said.

Group Health Cooperative of Olympia closed all of its services except for urgent care, which remained open to treat injured patients, while the clinic was assessed for damage, Viveros said.

All elective surgery at St. Peter and Capital Medical was cancelled Wednesday. In addition, St. Peter sent home all people scheduled for outpatient surgery and all visitors to hospital in-patients.

Lorrine Thompson covers health care and Thurston County for The Olympian. She can be reached at 754-5431.

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