🦇 WILD ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS: KNOW WHAT TO DO

Anderson Hospital is seeing an increase in patients seeking care following possible exposure to rabies — often after an encounter with a bat or other wild animal.Rabies is serious, but knowing what to do after a possible exposure can make an important difference.The best advice starts before an exposure ever occurs: Leave wild animals alone. Do not touch, feed or attempt to handle bats, raccoons, skunks or other wild animals, even if they appear sick, injured or unusually friendly.If you believe you or a family member may have been exposed to a potentially rabid animal:• Do not simply release the animal if it can be safely contained. Never put yourself at risk trying to capture it. Contact your local Animal Control or Health Department for guidance on safely containing, collecting, testing or quarantining the animal.• This is especially important with bats. If you wake up and find a bat in a room where someone was sleeping, do not automatically let it outside. Contact your local Health Department or Animal Control for instructions.• Seek medical guidance promptly following a bite, scratch or other potential exposure. Your local Health Department can help evaluate the situation and determine appropriate next steps.• Rabies vaccination is not automatically necessary after every encounter. When the animal is available for appropriate quarantine or testing, public health officials may be able to determine whether rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is needed.When PEP is recommended, treatment follows a specific schedule. Initial treatment may include rabies vaccine and rabies immune globulin, followed by additional vaccine doses.THE TAKEAWAY: DO NOT TOUCH WILD ANIMALS. Don't panic. And don't release a potentially involved animal before talking with the experts.Contact your local Health Department or Animal Control following a possible exposure. If medical care is recommended, seek treatment promptly.Being cautious — and knowing what to do — can help protect you, your family and our community. 🦇 ... See MoreSee Less

🚧 **CAMPUS TRAFFIC NOTICE: ROAD CLOSURE moved to August 26 🚧

Beginning **Wednesday, August 26, a portion of **Hospital Road** will be temporarily closed for asphalt work as part of ongoing improvements on the Anderson Hospital campus.**The important thing to know: Anderson Hospital and our campus will remain accessible throughout this work.**➡️ Only **one campus access point** will be closed.➡️ **All other campus entrances and access points will remain open and can be used as usual.**➡️ A **temporary access point** will be opened to provide employees, patients and visitors with continued access to the **West Lot** during the closure.🚌 **MCT BUS RIDERS:** The MCT bus pick-up and drop-off location will also be **temporarily relocated near Hospital Entrance 2** during the road closure. **Please look for MCT signs** directing you to the temporary bus stop.📍 **Please refer to the map below for an overview of the temporary traffic pattern.**The temporary West Lot access point and MCT bus stop will remain in place throughout the asphalt work. Once the work is complete, the temporary access will close and normal traffic patterns and bus service locations will resume.We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as we continue making improvements to our campus. Please use extra caution, watch for directional signage and allow a little additional time when traveling through the area.**Thank you for helping us keep our campus safe and accessible during construction!** ... See MoreSee Less

Across Anderson, the experiences you remember most start with exceptional care from healthcare professionals and other staff members. The Lily Award allows patients and families to recognize Anderson employees who made a meaningful difference during their experience.

Know someone at Anderson Hospital who deserves recognition? Nominate them here: andersonhospital.org/the-lily-award-nomination/. ... See MoreSee Less