If life teaches us much of anything, it’s that things don’t go according to plan.

That was the message Andy Mullins, director for the Center of Emergency Preparedness with ADPH, shared with numerous healthcare providers during the Pike County Chamber of Commerce health committee’s quarterly luncheon at Troy Regional Medical Center.

Mullins spoke briefly about different disasters that occurred within or around Alabama and summed up with the message that while plans may go awry, being prepared and taking precautions to ensure safety is the best course.

“We have volumes of plans about what we are going to do if x happens,” Mullins said. “I have found the plan is the point from which you depart. It’s generally not something you end up doing.”

Pamela Ray, R.N. and emergency department manager for TRMC, said it was nice to hear a different side of the story.

“They’re trying to put patients first, and that’s the primary goal here … They’re they’re actually taking into consideration the people that take care of the patients as well,” Ray said. “(The message of) making sure everybody has the means that they need to take care of these patients and that there is a plan … I was really impressed with that.”

Teresa Grimes, CEO of TRMC, echoed her thoughts.

“We always are looking at what is out there that would bring the most current information (to our staff),” Grimes said. “For us it was how could we better prepare for Ebola, how can we better prepare for infectious disease, what do we need to do to work with the health department, what do they have and what do we need to do in order to have that.”

Kathy Sauer, Chamber president, said she was thankful to be able to have events like these in Troy and Pike County.

“We would just like to thank Troy Regional Medical Center for running this program today,” Sauer told attendees. “I think it was very beneficial as he so eloquently said, it takes a community to be prepared and part of that preparedness is to know what each person has a different role and for the community to come together relying on each other in the times when we need them.”