ABC6: Local authorities say they're prepared after deadly school shooting

When there is a mass casualty, it is natural to think “what if that happened here? Does my community have the resources to care for me or my loved ones in a terrible situation?”

In the wake of the tragedy at a high school in Florida, ABC6 reporter Bryant Maddrick recently visited OhioHealth Grant Medical Center to see how the busiest trauma hospital in the state of Ohio would handle such a situation if it happened here.

Grant officials say they and other OhioHealth hospitals are prepared and practice for these scenarios, but hope they never have to use this training.

“We’re pretty much ready to handle whatever happens,” said Matthew Moorman, MD, assistant medical director of trauma services at Grant.

Grant sees about 7,000 trauma patients per year, sometimes up to 20 patients a day.

“We practice and drill for mass casualties of all different shapes and sizes throughout the year,” Dr. Moorman told Maddrick. “We’re always working with our local fire departments and ambulance folks training them on (our) procedures, and they’re training us on what they’re doing out in the field.”

In the event of a mass casualty, many patients would likely be sent to Grant, which as a Level I trauma center, offers a full range of care to seriously injured patients regardless of severity or complexity. The specialized team includes trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and plastic surgeons who are on site 24/7.

To learn more about the trauma team at Grant and throughout OhioHealth, click here.  To view the ABC6 story, which also included an interview with an officer from the Dublin Police Department, click on the ABC6 logo to the right.