Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton conducted patient relocation drills Nov. 15 to practice moving patients from the old hospital to its new location.

The hospital and all of its services will be moving to the new facility over a two week period in December and will be opened Dec. 16.

“The purpose of this exercise is to practice the actual inpatient transport we will be executing on Dec. 14,” said Navy Cmdr. Billy McCarty, the chief of medical staff at the hospital.

This exercise tested the hospitals capability and efficiency of transporting patients, said Navy Cmdr. Dale Ramirez, the director of branch clinics.

“We practice this so that when the real time comes with the real patients, we are absolutely ensuring that safety is our priority,” said Ramirez. “The most important reason for the exercise is to ensure that during this process no patients are harmed.”

Emergency medical technicians were escorted through the hospital to pick up corpsmen who posed as patients. The simulated patients were put into ambulances and transported to the new hospital, giving the participants a chance to experience what they will have to do during the relocation.

While safety was paramount during this training, it also helped the participants know what to expect.

“This allowed us to do a live run through with the ambulances and all of our personnel in place to time it out and learn the lessons needed to be ready to execute the move,” said McCarty. “It gives us the opportunity to physically see what we are going to be doing.”

The training showed members of the hospital what they have to work on, said to McCarty.

“We are learning how critical communications are between the hospitals,” said McCarty. “We are also realizing what resources are necessary prior to us beginning to transport patients, and that there are some opportunities for us to prepare even better.”

McCarty said the training was successful and the members of the hospital are looking forward to moving into their new facility.

“This hospital is far more patient centered in its design, with its calming nature it has a very natural open air feel to it and it promotes healing,” said McCarty. “It allows us to provide the same quality of care, but with the added effects of their surroundings.”

For more information on the hospitals relocation visit http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/cpen/Pages/default.aspx