ALEX
06-11-2009, 07:29 AM
Injuried VIP? Head to a Level I Trauma Center
When Agent Jerry Parr of the Secret Service directed the motorcade carrying President Reagan to George Washington University Hospital’s Emergency Department, after President Reagan was shot, he saved President Reagan’s life. That critical decision made in the immediate aftermath of the shooting allowed President Reagan to receive the right type of emergency medical care for his wound. What made that decision so critical is that George Washington University Hospital is a Level I trauma center which means they were equipped and staffed to treat President Reagan.
As an executive protection provider, the prospect of having to respond to a medical emergency involving your principal is very real and statistically speaking, you’re more likely to find yourself dealing with a medical emergency than responding to an attack. Part of preparing for such contingencies includes knowing where to take your injured principal particularly when that injury involves trauma i.e. gunshot wound. A recent study published by the Journal of Trauma, indicated that patients with life-threatening injuries have a better survival rate at Level I trauma centers than at Level II trauma centers. Simply put, according to this particular study, Level I trauma centers have more experience in treating trauma which translates to better trained emergency medical staff.
From an executive protection perspective, any hospital survey should take into consideration whether the hospital you plan to use in a medical emergency is the “right” hospital. Here’s what I mean: A level I trauma center is where you want to go if your principal has been injured as a result of an attack. However, if your principal suffers from a pre-existing medical condition, then you might be better served by going to a hospital that specializes in that condition, regardless whether it’s a level I trauma center or not. Then again, do you take a risk and by-pass a level II trauma center in an effort to make it to a level I? There’s no easy answer or necessarily right answer. It all depends if you’ve done a hospital survey to begin with and whether you’re prepared for these types of emergencies and contingencies.
Start by trying to understand conceptually the differences in the various trauma centers and their capabilities. No one says you have to make it your life work or go to medical school but the time to figure out where to go is not when you need to get there. Also recognize that each state has its own, or different, definition of what constitutes a trauma center. The same holds true if you are operating overseas.
Don’t assume that every hospital has the same capability to treat every category of injury. Assumptions can be lethal. Verify and validate the information on your hospital survey before you need to use it.
When Agent Jerry Parr of the Secret Service directed the motorcade carrying President Reagan to George Washington University Hospital’s Emergency Department, after President Reagan was shot, he saved President Reagan’s life. That critical decision made in the immediate aftermath of the shooting allowed President Reagan to receive the right type of emergency medical care for his wound. What made that decision so critical is that George Washington University Hospital is a Level I trauma center which means they were equipped and staffed to treat President Reagan.
As an executive protection provider, the prospect of having to respond to a medical emergency involving your principal is very real and statistically speaking, you’re more likely to find yourself dealing with a medical emergency than responding to an attack. Part of preparing for such contingencies includes knowing where to take your injured principal particularly when that injury involves trauma i.e. gunshot wound. A recent study published by the Journal of Trauma, indicated that patients with life-threatening injuries have a better survival rate at Level I trauma centers than at Level II trauma centers. Simply put, according to this particular study, Level I trauma centers have more experience in treating trauma which translates to better trained emergency medical staff.
From an executive protection perspective, any hospital survey should take into consideration whether the hospital you plan to use in a medical emergency is the “right” hospital. Here’s what I mean: A level I trauma center is where you want to go if your principal has been injured as a result of an attack. However, if your principal suffers from a pre-existing medical condition, then you might be better served by going to a hospital that specializes in that condition, regardless whether it’s a level I trauma center or not. Then again, do you take a risk and by-pass a level II trauma center in an effort to make it to a level I? There’s no easy answer or necessarily right answer. It all depends if you’ve done a hospital survey to begin with and whether you’re prepared for these types of emergencies and contingencies.
Start by trying to understand conceptually the differences in the various trauma centers and their capabilities. No one says you have to make it your life work or go to medical school but the time to figure out where to go is not when you need to get there. Also recognize that each state has its own, or different, definition of what constitutes a trauma center. The same holds true if you are operating overseas.
Don’t assume that every hospital has the same capability to treat every category of injury. Assumptions can be lethal. Verify and validate the information on your hospital survey before you need to use it.