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Real or Not, St. Joseph Hospital Stands Ready to Respond to Community's Emergency Medical Needs
On September 27, St. Joseph Hospital participated in a mock disaster drill, responding to a mass casualty incident at the Buffalo Niagara Airport. During the drill, nine "patients" were brought to the hospital. In addition to the Emergency Department staff, clinical and support services throughout the hospital responded to the drill.
On September 28 - less than 24-hours after the drill scenario - an actual mass casualty accident involving a car/bus collision in nearby Lancaster was called into the ER at St. Joseph Hospital. Once again, hospital staff and the ER team sprung into action just as they had the day before. Fortunately, the accident did not result in any significant injures and no one required treatment at St. Joseph Hospital.
Despite the successful outcome of these two events, serious questions remain….What if it wasn't a drill at the airport? What if the bus accident was more serious? What if St. Joseph Hospital was not there to meet the emergency medical needs of the surrounding community?
These are just some of the questions State officials need to consider when deciding the future of St. Joseph Hospital. We never know when or where an emergency will strike or how many people will be affected. We do know that keeping St. Joseph Hospital open gives the community a vital resource to save lives everyday.
Frank Lee, M.D. Medical Director of Ambulatory
Care & Emergency Medicine
St. Joseph Hospital
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