As

the clock approaches midnight Friday, Fayette

Community Hospital personnel will be preparing to

swing into action.

But

the hospital is not expecting a flood of injuries

from rioting or other year 2000 calamities that

some have predicted. Instead, technicians will be

on hand to test the hospital's wide array of

computer-dependent equipment immediately after

midnight to make sure no Y2K glitches have

escaped the scrutiny of earlier testing.

"We'll

be doing equipment testing in the hours just

after the ball drops," said hospital

spokesman Ryan Duffy. If there are any problems,

all the vendors are on call, she said. And if one

of the vendors fails to respond properly, the

hospital is ready with a list of alternative

suppliers.

Equipment

used directly in patient care will get first

priority, she added.

As

for the possibility of a flood of injuries or

other problems, hospital staff are ready for

that, too, she said, as part of a community task

force that includes all the emergency agencies.

"We've

spent a significant amount of time preparing for

the unexpected," said Duffy. "As a

health care agency, we always operate in

contingency mode," she added.

Senior

administrative staff also will be working this

New Year's Eve, she said, mostly to display

empathy with the extra staff that have to work.

"We've

definitely put some thought into `what if,' but

we're hoping it's not going to be anything but an

overstaffed party," said Duffy.

If

there are power outages, generators are on hand

to keep the hospital operating smoothly, as in

any disaster.

Hospital

personnel also are in contact with companies that

provide assistance to home-bound patients and

others with special needs, in case any problems

arise, she said.

"We

are very prepared," said Duffy.

<!--

-----------