By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – OSF St. Joseph Medical Center tested its ability to handle a pandemic with a two-day pandemic drill this week.

The drill required all staff to enter through the Business and Conference Center. Once there, Infection Preventionist Monica McDonald said all employees received a flu shot.

“And that’s what we would do in a real pandemic,” said McDonald. “We would have them all come to one area, we would give them their assignments, and then they would go on to the units where they work.”

McDonald felt the drill went well.

“This went very smoothly,” said McDonald. “I think if it was a real pandemic, of course, it would be a little more complicated because it would be slower moving.”

OSF also held this type of drill last year. McDonald believed the hospital is prepared for a real pandemic, should one occur in the area.

“I think it would go well. I think we showed both years that we can actually handle that big group of people,” she said.

By the end of the two day drill, over 800 employees, students, and volunteers had been vaccinated.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].