It’s a sign of the times…more and more violence in the streets causing more and more mass casualty situations for trauma centers. The University of Kansas Hospital, with the only nationally verified Level 1 trauma center in the region, is making sure its staff is prepared to handle a large influx of mass casualty disaster patients with a daylong training program on Monday, August 1. This is the only training of its kind in the country. EMT/paramedics will also be attending.

            Mass casualty disasters require an entirely different approach to medical care, including different strategies and tactics in caring for a large number of severely injured victims, in contrast to traditional emergency care.

            In the video, Tracy McDonald, trauma director at The University of Kansas Hospital, explains what will happen in the training, why mass casualty situations are so different and why this kind of specialized training is so important for both the medical staff and the patients.