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Trauma Center: Real Medicine Saving Lives
For Release: Immediately
Date: May 7, 2007
Contact: Suzanne Mcmasters (402) 481-8675
On Sunday, April 29, a van carrying youth members of the Sudanese Evangelical Lutheran Church choir in Omaha crashed on Interstate 80 just west of Lincoln. Occupants of the van, two adults and 18 children ages 10 to 14, were injured.
Lincoln, Nebr. - What could have ended as every parent's worst nightmare didn't when the BryanLGH trauma team, working side by side with local emergency medical responders, rescued 13 children injured in a vehicle crash on Interstate 80 Sunday, April 29.
On that day, a van full of young Sudanese crashed and rolled. Far from home, suddenly needing medical attention at hospitals where few spoke their Nuer language, these children were literally at the mercy of strangers. And angels came to their rescue.
There was nothing routine about this scenario, but the BryanLGH trauma team and their co-workers made it seem as if it was all in a day's work.
The most severely injured had head wounds, breathing issues or critical blood loss. They went directly to the Trauma Center at BryanLGH West. Two of the six taken initially to BryanLGH East were transferred to BryanLGH West after they were stabilized for further treatment and care. It was a textbook response to an incident involving mass casualties.
From workers at the site to the medical professionals at BryanLGH, all cared for these patients with swift, appropriate, accurate response. Off duty radiology, lab, surgery, nursing and support personnel responded to calls for back-up, stayed beyond their usual shift hours or arrived according to hospital procedure to meet patient needs.
Carolyn Cody, MD, and John Cordova, MD, interim trauma directors at BryanLGH West, have nothing but praise for hospital personnel.
"We're so proud of everyone," says Dr. Cody. "The first responders - the BryanLGH StarCare emergency flight team, Lincoln Fire & Rescue, volunteers from local EMS squads - did a fabulous job of triage. Patients arrived with a minimum of fuss, and a team of care givers moved with each patient all the way into the trauma rooms."
Dr. Cordova was at BryanLGH West waiting for the first patients to arrive. He said that excellent work at the site saved lives. And about BryanLGH West trauma team members: "We've had more trauma cases in a 24-hour period, in fact, there were four more unrelated trauma cases at BryanLGH West later that same day. But to have so many very young patients coming here all at once was very unusual."
From this accident on that April Sunday, BryanLGH Medical Center received a total of 14 patients. From Monday, April 30, through today (Monday, May 7), all but two sisters, Nyadoar and Sunday Jueny, have been cared for and are back with their families. Nyadoar is in fair condition and Sunday in serious.
Dr. Cody notes, "Because of language differences, it took some special efforts and understanding by the nurses and other caregivers to meet the needs of these patients and their extended families.
"Because of the unselfishness of our people, who were ready and willing to do anything to assist, this worked."
