Jess Mace

Just food for thought..
We as a team have compiled an emergency contact list that each of us
carries in their car in case one of us is injured...Rob Anderson was
instrument in pursing such a team policy after he unfortunately broke a
collarbone two years back at Bananna Belt. It helps get the ball
rolling in terms of hospital contacts, family contacts, etc. with the
expectation, as a team, these things will get worked out and taken care
of while our member is being attended to medically.

Instead of arguing and debating national health care policies on a
racing forum, why not be a BIT more proactive in establishing these
contact lists within your teams. As Galen stated, we all sign release
waiver which have contact information on them...its up to you whether or
not you want to write in 9-1-1 or not (as I know a lot of folks do) but
there may be repurcussions for such an answer....such as being stuck at
the hospital after a short stay. As for the unattached
riders...well...good luck to ya (totally joking).

Some health care systems do provide free transportation services from
the hospital (United Kingdom). Ours, currently, does not...but I'm 100%
positive Hospital Services does have contacts for transporation if
requested by the patient. Instead of bickering relentlessly about it
for no apparent reason for days on-end, be proactive and cover your own
bases as much as possible before you even toe the line at a race...

If a promoter wants to provide the service, wonderful. Should you
expect your ER doc. to leave his job during his/her shift to give you a
ride back to your car at a race venue miles away? Hardly.

Jess C. Mace, MPH
Clinical Outcomes Research Coordinator
for Timothy Smith, MD, MPH
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Oregon Health & Science University
503.494.5886

>>> "Galen Mittermann" 5/27/2008 2:21 PM >>>
Without debating national health care policy here, does OBRA have a
policy on when to call the emergency contact listed on the waiver forms?
I have always been lucky enough to crash directly in front of my
girlfriend, and thus have had the 'friends and family' immediately
present to haul my sorry butt to and from medical care. If, however, I
crashed and was hospitalized at an OBRA event and was alone, I would
hope that someone would give that number on the form a ring and let them
know that I was being shipped off.

Since current hospital policy is not to provide for transport once
discharged, can we as a community do a small part to see that the ball
at least has a chance to get rolling on taking care of our members after
they are released? I think that making sure that the emergency number
gets called and the contact informed is both sufficient and a minimum of
community responsibility, and it certainly is not unreasonable.

GM
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