Published: October 09, 2008 04:48 pm         

HOSPITAL: Medina Memorial is back on track after exposure concerns were determined to be false.

Medina Memorial Hospital got back to its normal day-to-day operations a day after a lockdown closed its doors on Tuesday in what officials called a false alarm.

Jim Sinner, president and CEO of Medina Memorial Hospital, said that from the hospital’s perspective, the incident ran very smoothly.

“We stood up, as they say, acted on protocol for disasters, and did it without a hitch,” he said. “We’re very happy to see that from the hospital’s perspective.”

Sinner said police and firefighters reacted well, and it was a coordinated effort.

“I think that if there had been a problem, we would have it contained,” Sinner said.

A woman who thought she was contaminated after opening a letter from Verizon was treated and released late Tuesday, after the lock down was lifted.

“The postal inspector told us there was no contaminants, we lifted the restriction from the hospital and she was released,” Sinner said.

While under lockdown, several people in the hospital were decontaminated.

A group of students was among those who were thought to be potentially exposed to contaminants. The students were in the hospital as part of a BOCES technology program in the health care field. They were in a “job shadow” program during the mornings and afternoons at Medina Memorial Hospital.

According to Sinner, the students came in close proximity with the woman and most, if not all, were decontaminated.

“They got extra credit,” Sinner quipped.