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Mannequins Used In Children's Hospital Practice Drill

Fake Patients Used To Simulate Move Between Old, New Hospitals

POSTED: 6:39 pm EST February 21, 2009
UPDATED: 6:56 pm EST February 21, 2009

The new Children's Hospital campus in Lawrenceville was nearly ready to open on Saturday.

Staff prepared to move 150 boys and girls across town by using fake patients in a drill.

Mannequin babies and children were taken on the trip. Since some patients will be in critical care at the time they're moved, transporting them to the new hospital will have to be highly coordinated.

"We are confident that we've planned and prepared for a very long time," said chief nursing officer Diane Hupp. "We will have this down. The risks are very minimal."

The staff used about 10 ambulances and moved 26 of its pretend patients.

Coordinators said the focus is on communications -- keeping the children safe as they leave Oakland, arrive at Lawrenceville and the time in between.

"We have been working with EMS in the city," Hupp said. "We have done traffic engineering studies. We have senders, receivers at the hospital."

Hupp said the entire staff will be working during the move.

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