MARQUETTE --
After any serious incident, the first thing most of us do is dial 911. What happens after that?
Dispatchers contact the appropriate emergency response team and then send them to the scene of the incident.
"We do a thorough assessment of the patient and a physical exam to find out what these injuries may be and we treat those injuries as well as we can to stabilize the patient. And we'll call a report to the emergency department so they can determine what level trauma's called," said Eric Wolf, Paramedic.
Delivering the patient to the emergency room is a very time-sensitive operation.
"Trauma patients need 'the golden hour,' we call it," said Trauma Program Manager, Cheryl Moore. "They need every resource utilized on them so they have the best outcome."
Once in the E.R., physicians, surgeons, and other personnel are waiting, ready to work on the patient, each with their own specific tasks.
After they've helped the patient to the best of their abilities, they recommend the next step of care and send the patient there.
Last weekend, the Upper Peninsula's Level II Trauma Center at Marquette General Hospital experienced a high volume of trauma cases. One of them being David Bach, a participant in the recent Ore to Shore bike race.
During the race, David experienced chest pains. Luckily, teams of paramedics were ready at the scene for any emergency.
"50% of the people that have this type of aortic tear don't even make it to the hospital, a lot of complications in surgery for many people," said Greg Bach, Brother of patient David Bach. "David made it through surgery, had great care, and he's slowly recovering. It's going to be a long road to recovery. He'll be out of work for at least six weeks. But if we didn't have all the right people in all the right places, if we weren't here in Marquette, so close to this hospital, Dave wouldn't be alive today."
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