michelechirgwin@comcast.net

I just have to add my $.02 cents worth.

Unless one is unconscience, why in the world wouldn't that person make a phone call to his/her family? Either in the car, in the ambulance or at the hospital. Phone access is not that difficult. Even if you busted your cell phone in the crash or forgot it in your car, I am sure someone would allow you to use theirs. Even if you were "one of those" who doesn't believe in cell phones, I am sure someone would let you call your loved ones on a borrowed phone. (Heaven forbid, you use modern technology).

And wouldn't that be one of the first things you would do under any traumatic circumstance? Call home? I don't think we have too many homeless people out racing. Not that I don't have compassion.

Sitting in the emergency room is no fun for anyone. But the few times I have had the wonderful opportunity to visit, I have always been able to call my family (or friends) & have someone show up to help me drag my sore, sorry body back home.

And I usually call immediately, not after I have been checked out & then find myself wandering around in the waiting room...finally realizing I may need help getting home.....

Sorry to be cynical...but it all seems too logical to me.

--
Michele Chirgwin

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Mike Murray"

> A policy would be difficult to make to cover all eventualities. Frankly
> calling the emergency contact listed on the entry form may not be the most
> efficient method, in part because many list not very useful things like
> "Mike Murray" or their mother back in Chicago. We have often contacted
> family members for people that are transported to the hospital either by
> ambulance or by private vehicle, particularly when it is clear that the
> person is going to be incapacitated. It is also very common for us to help
> coordinate transportation by a friend or teammate. I think that each
> individual situation requires evaluation and then an appropriate response.
> This is complicated in the situation like last weekend when the EMS response
> was activated by a bystander not associated with the race and details of the
> crash and who was involved were not available until some time later when the
> on the road officials return in with the still racing field. This is really
> not a major problem. After all, a 2 hour wait for your wife to pick you up
> at the ED is not all that big a deal in the grand scheme of things and is
> probably part of doing business in this sport as well as many others. I can
> tell you from personal and business experience that getting injured while
> skiing is a much bigger deal, can cause a lot longer time and expense with
> transportation and the ski area does not feel compelled to contact your
> family.
>
> Mike Murray
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
> Behalf Of Galen Mittermann
> Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 14:21 PM
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Cat 3 Crash
>
>
> 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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