J.Michael Manning
Just a quick explanation for further elucidation...I was strapped to a gurney with a neck brace and the works and all I was told was we were headed to the hospital for an examination. The EMT stated emphatically that in a situation such as this "we do not take any chances". I agreed to go even though I really felt that the examination would prove that I was just badly bruised. I asked the ambulance attendant if I could use his phone to call my wife. He said I could do that when I got to the hospital. Once there, I discovered that cell phone use is banned in the emergency room area and the land lines could not be used because it was a long distance call to Portland (as well as teammates at the race). That's because the hospital was in Longview, Washington. After a few hours of testing ( x-rays, urinalysis, etc...) my request for a phone call was finally taken care of by a social worker who called my wife for me. Of course, her first thought was that something is terribly wrong, because it's not me on the other end of the line...it's the hospital! All minor stuff in the bigger picture, but certainly not a simple scenario. The point of the initial posting was that I think we can improve on the system currently in place. Every situation is different, so rigid guidelines won't necessarily work. But some plan is better than none.
Mike Manning
From: michelechirgwin@comcast.net
To: mike.murray@obra.org; obra@list.obra.org
Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 22:09:20 +0000
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Cat 3 Crash
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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