Hackensack hospital adding a trauma unit on wheels

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Do not confuse disaster with mass casualty I incident.

By definition, a disaster overwhelms local resources and requires external
support and assistance.

Therefore, a physician or small team going to a disaster site would have
minimal positive impact, and if improperly trained and supplied, would be a
negative. 

Anyone going to the scene has best be part of a USAR team or the like.


Jeffrey Hammond MD, MPH
Chief, Trauma/Surgical Critical Care
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, NJ
ph: 732-235-7920
e-mail: hammond at umdnj.edu
 
-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]
On Behalf Of HAXScott at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 11:43 AM
To: trauma-list at trauma.org
Subject: Re: Hackensack hospital adding a trauma unit on wheels

Exactly right Dr. Gross... I've taken a surgeon with me on both ground and
air critical care transports,  with a T&A tray and accessories, (more)
blood, etc - and certainly there have been many, many cases where a surgeon
(or  EM
physician) has proven to be an invaluable and lifesaving asset at a disaster
scene. ( L'Ambiance Plaza in CT and another collapse just a few years ago
come to mind). I don't think anyone in their right mind would question
bringing physician-level expertise into the field, or on certain  (rare)
interhospital transports, but even the concept of what Hackensack is  trying
to do is utterly ridiclous and a huge waste of money that would be better
spent in a manner such that it might actually be used as something more than
a  roving ego-stroking, (awe-inflicting to the uninformed) billboard
showing how how poorly our tax-dollars may be utlilized. 
 
However, Ron and Pret, it's nice to see the left and the right come
together and share an opinion! 
 
Scott Hax
 
 
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