The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 28 COVID patients today, down from 32 Monday. Other significant numbers:
- 17 with the active virus today, 22 Monday
- 3 in ICU, 1 Monday
- 2 on ventilators, 1 Monday
- 11 hospitalized but out of acute infection phase, 10 Monday
Key points from today’s guests:
Dax and Samantha McDonald, brother and sister, survived Amtrak crash in Mendon, Missouri
- Were both in train car when collision caused it to tip on its side
- Samantha received cuts and scrapes, Dax was not hurt
- Dax described the difficulty of getting everyone out through train windows, which were now above them
- Both were taken, with all the passengers, to local high school for assessment and treatment
- Thankful to the many citizens of Menden who came to help
Dan Manley, Lee's Summit Fire Assist. Chief
- As soon as he received word of the derailment, he began reaching out to various agencies to coordinate response and find out what resources were available if needed
- Several agencies in the region have received special passenger rail rescue training
- They expect to learn much after debriefing rescue personnel which will help in future mass casualty events
Matt Dougherty, director of business development for Life Flight
- 16 medical helicopters were put on standby, more than half of the medical helicopters in the state of Missouri. 11 were sent to the scene, the first one arriving within 20 minutes
- Many of initial responders were volunteer firefighters who had to leave their day jobs to help
- Typical injuries included head wounds, broken bones, cuts from flying debris. Some patients were trapped and needed extended extrication
- Many of the lessons learned from the Joplin tornado helped better allocate air ambulance resources
Doctor Robert Winfield, Division Chief, Acute Care Surgery, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, The University of Kansas Health System
- As a nationally verified Level 1 trauma center (different from state designation) The University of Kansas Health System plans for these scenarios well ahead of time and conducts drills and simulations
- Whether a mass casualty such as this or a shooting on Saturday night, each has an impact on the medical staff as well as the patients
- It takes an incredible level of coordination at many levels to effectively respond to mass casualty events such as this
Doctor Bryan Beaver, fellowship director for EMS disaster medicine
- New program is training physicians to deal with all aspects of mass casualty events
- There are special challenges for EMS workers and flight crews when a disaster happens in a remote area like this
- Important to take care of both patients and themselves
Doctor Ryan Jacobsen, medical director of Johnson County EMS
- Kansas side not involved in this disaster, but they must be prepared in case they are needed
- No matter how much you do mock training and simulations, you never really know how you’ll respond to a real emergency until you are called to one
- Many times, especially in smaller communities, EMS workers must respond to incidents involving friends or their own families
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control
- Pointed out that a mass disaster like this, requiring many hospital beds, would have been difficult to accommodate a few months ago at the height of the COVID surge
- An increase in the monkeypox vaccine rollout is coming
- Compared COVID vaccines to seatbelts in cars. They will not keep you from getting into an accident, but will keep you from serious injury or death.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, The University of Kansas Health System
- Most of the patients hospitalized with COVID are not fully vaccinated and boosted
- The term “being vaccinated,” has lost its meaning. If you were vaccinated and it’s been a year or a year and a half, are you really even still vaccinated? The question now is “are you vaccinated and fully boosted for your age and health circumstance?”
- Those who are fully vaccinated and boosted are not coming to the hospital
Friday, July 1 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. A well-known Kansas City couple shares how they are living through a devastating rare cancer diagnosis. You’ll see how their story is inspiring other patients and their families. Tomorrow at 8, we head into the 4th of July holiday weekend. And just like fireworks, injuries shoot high into the sky too. We demonstrate the possible injuries and show you ways to keep you and your family safe.
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