Emergency Center Staff Provides Care to Bus Crash Victims

Once again, our Scotland Health team proved why they are heroes.  Despite our entire hospital being full of critically ill patients and our Emergency Center pushed beyond capacity, our team quickly came together last Thursday afternoon to care for 26 middle school students and their anxious parents who were involved in a school bus accident.  

Dr. Nederostek, our Emergency Center Medical Director, and Dr. Byrd, a Purcell Clinic pediatrician, immediately decided to triage the students at the outside entrance to our Emergency Center.  Bridgette Bowen, our Emergency Center Director, began directing staff to prepare the long hallway adjacent to the Emergency Center with the necessary chairs and equipment to treat the students.  She then assigned dozens of non-clinical staff members who arrived to serve as chaperones, each one staying with a child as they were cared for until their parents arrived.  Other volunteers took perhaps the hardest roles- asking worried patients to be patient and assuring them that their babies would be all right.  By the time the students were triaged, two additional Purcell Clinic pediatricians and several other medical providers were present to help evaluate and treat the students.  They worked thoroughly and efficiently to ensure that each student got the care they needed.  Fortunately, there were no major injuries, and all students were released last evening.  

I am always extremely proud seeing how talented, organized, and compassionate our Team is when responding to potential crisis situations.  I was also deeply moved yesterday because I know how overwhelmed and exhausted our staff is as we continue to fight the raging Covid pandemic.   

Thank you, Team, for once again heroically caring for our community in the midst of the biggest public health crisis any of us have ever faced.  And for those in our community who would like to thank and support the Scotland Health team in their struggle, please get your shot and mask up!

Gregory C. Wood
President and Chief Executive Officer