In addition to providing 24/7 emergency hotline services for the public and health care providers regarding potential toxic exposures, the Washington Poison Center has an active health care provider education program. By becoming a partner in its Hospital Fair Share program, your hospital supports the core emergency services of the poison center, and it also allows the center to provide immediate consultations from board-certified clinical toxicologists to your health care providers as well as information regarding antivenom administration and other specialized poisoning treatments.
The Washington Poison Center will launch its 2018 Hospital Fair Share campaign in November and will ask for community benefit to its organization. To request health care provider education at your hospital, please visit the center’s new website at www.wapc.org or contact Medical Director Dr. Erica Liebelt.
Dr. Liebelt and Dr. Alexander Garrard were on the road on behalf of the Washington Poison Center this summer in Central and Eastern Washington, giving multiple presentations to many hospitals, including Samaritan Healthcare, MultiCare Deaconess Hospital, Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital and Trios Health. Summertime is snakebite season, and many of their presentations focused on evaluating and treating snake envenomations.
Washington has one venomous snake — the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake — which can cause significant clinical toxicity. However, understanding the toxicity and the timeframe of this snake’s venom provides a framework for appropriate utilization of lab testing, antivenom and additional hospital services.
As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, it is incumbent upon the Washington Poison Control Center to secure stable funding to continue to provide valuable services to hospitals, health care providers and the community. (Ashley Beil)
