St. Mark’s a Safe-Haven During Storm

Unlike the woes some metro hospitals sustained, St. Mark’s Medical Center in La Grange never went without power or water during the winter storm last week.

“We were a safe haven for patients and staff members alike,” said CEO Mark Kimball. “The staff really stepped up and we gave them the option for staff members to spend the night at the hospital, a number of them did that and were able to have meals and a mental break.”

“It was kind of a Hotel St. Mark’s situation going on,” laughed Tammy Hartfield, the hospital’s Chieg Nursing Officer.

The numbers of patients at St. Mark’s during the storm was higher than normal, mainly because patients that normally would have been transferred to metro hospitals were kept here for safety reasons because of the dangerous travel conditions.

The hospital ER did see a number of patients come in with fall-related injuries from icy conditions, but no cases of extreme cold-weather exposure.

“I’m proud of the staff. They kept people warm and safe,” Kimball said.