No hospital wants to have to handle the kinds of mass casualties seen in the Orlando, Florida weekend massacre. But The University of Kansas Hospital, the area’s only nationally verified level one trauma center, is prepared to do just that if needed, and has handled many trauma cases with multiple patients, such as the Joplin tornado, the JJ’s explosion and a school bus crash.
The key to handling mass casualties is drilling and practicing, according to Dr. Lee Norman, chief medical officer of The University of Kansas Hospital. In the video, he talks about how the hospital works with the military and Homeland Security to be constantly prepared. That includes simulating all kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, at least twice a year.
Also in the video, Dr. Michael Moncure, medical director of trauma services at The University of Kansas Hospital, describes how many patients the hospital can handle at one time, how there’s a system in place to coordinate with all area hospitals in a mass casualty event to assign patients to hospitals for the most appropriate care, how many people are involved in each trauma case and how mass casualties can place a huge burden on the area’s blood supply. He also explains why having a nationally verified level one trauma center is so important to a patient’s survival.
Also included is TV friendly video of an actual trauma case in progress, and medical helicopters landing at one of the hospital’s three landing pads.
