AUSTIN, TX - (August 4, 2010) - This past Sunday, after 30 partygoers were thrown to the ground from a second-story balcony in South Austin, University Medical Center Brackenridge, a member of the Seton Family of Hospitals, quickly mobilized to treat what would be the largest influx of patients from a single incident since Hurricane Rita evacuees in 2005. Of the 23 injured who arrived at UMCB, the region's only Level I trauma center for adults, five were admitted to the hospital. There were many fractured bones but fortunately none of the injuries was life threatening.
UMCB initiated its mass casualty emergency plan and activated Code Triage Level I, which calls in additional doctors, nurses, technicians, radiologists and support personnel. The care teams assembled were well rehearsed to handle a large number of casualties. A mere two hours after the first patient arrived, all patients had been evaluated and treated and the UMCB Emergency Department resumed normal operations.
At 8:45 a.m. Sunday, UMCB Emergency Department Medical
Director Dr. Chris Ziebell (pictured above) briefed the
media.
The story was covered by
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Seton is proud to have four hospitals – the only hospitals in Central Texas - that have earned the