MMA Viewpoint
Kudos and Lessons for the Future
The collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge spanning the Mississippi River brought out the best in Minnesotans, many of whom came forward to help people trapped in their cars, stranded on the bridge, or struggling in the water. It also shone a spotlight on everyday heroes—health care providers, emergency medical service workers, police officers, and firefighters—whose work is often taken for granted.
The MMA issued a statement commending the physicians, nurses, and other health care, rescue, and community-support team members who worked tirelessly to care for victims of the bridge collapse and extending sympathy to all who were affected by it.
Physicians and other health care providers at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), the University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview, North Memorial Medical Center, and other hospitals worked throughout the night treating victims of the disaster.
Disaster training exercises paid off, according to spokespersons for HCMC. The emergency response was efficient and orderly. Rapid, high-quality care was given at the bridge. Victims were quickly removed from a site made dangerous by falling debris, downed power lines, and the threat of further collapse. Police officers were stationed at hospital entrances directing traffic as ambulances arrived. A new radio system and computer dispatch system allowed agencies to communicate with each other and coordinate their efforts. A web-based system connecting hospitals allowed them to track patients and direct them to the facility that could best care for them.
HCMC, which was already extremely busy when the bridge went down, sent out an orange alert calling in additional hospital staff. Within 30 minutes more than enough caregivers were at the hospital, ready to treat the incoming wounded. Patients were shifted from emergency departments and intensive care units to make room for the victims. At news conferences, physician spokespersons gave clear information and kept the public informed. Bystanders, whose help was needed at first, quickly stepped back so professionals could do their work.
Looking at the twisted metal, odd angles of concrete, and total devastation where the bridge once stood, I’m grateful and amazed that more lives were not lost.
The public, state officials, and others are hoping to learn from the disaster. One lesson that was reinforced is that training exercises for health care providers and emergency responders and efficient communication systems are vitally important. We also learned that the usefulness of cell phones is limited when many, many people are trying to call their family and friends.
We take bridges and highways for granted. On August 1, we were shocked out of our complacency. There’s a new understanding of the importance of investing in infrastructure and equipment, a lesson that can be applied to many fields, including health care. We can’t be complacent. It’s clearer than ever that our society has to make hard choices about where to invest money—in health care as well as in bridges, dams, and highways.