ABC6: Emergency Preparedness in Action

Following the tragic bus accident on Interstate 70, various teams at OhioHealth are continuing to prepare for unforeseen and serious emergencies they may encounter.

Lauren Smith, DO, OhioHealth trauma surgeon, spoke to ABC6 reporter Kate Siefert about the important role of a well-prepared emergency team. Dr. Smith was on call when OhioHealth Grant Medical Center saw trauma patients from the I-70 accident.

“The best thing we can do as both a healthcare system and an inner city hospital is be prepared as possible and running these scenarios so that we can be more of a well oiled machine,” said Dr. Smith.

OhioHealth conducts monthly trauma training scenarios/  This one involved medical and surgical residents, EMS students and obstetrics teams to ensure that their staff is ready to handle any type of emergency. 

“Trauma is a team sport. Everybody in the hospital is involved in these types of scenarios because it takes a village to take care of these patients in an effective manner,” said Dr. Smith. 

In a recent drill held at Grant Medical Center, participants faced a scenario involving a pregnant “patient” (a simulation mannequin) who had been in a motor vehicle accident. 

"It’s going to be up to the team to figure out what the next steps are that should be taken to save her and her baby. This is going to be a trauma patient that we don’t see often, but when we do, it’s very serious,” said Dr. Smith. Low-frequency, high-risk scenarios like this are practiced using mannequins to simulate the environment of a real trauma situation. 

In an emergency environment composure is key. "As a team leader, if you are calm, cool and collected, the rest of the team will see that … and emulate that,” said Dr. Smith.

Jeffery Thomas, DO, chief resident of general surgery at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, led the team. 

"We lost pulses, she went into cardiac arrest, so we have to deliver the baby via emergency C-section," Dr. Thomas said, "To evaluate what caused the cardiac arrest we put tube lines in to resuscitate her. After that was all completed, we got pulses back." 

The team's efforts in this scenario were a success.

To learn more about OhioHealth’s emergency and trauma care, click here.