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Sun Sep 14 18:56:25 BST 2008

Ken's problems are a repeat of Katrina in 2005. We (not Norman but the collective we) solved many of the problems. Especially good communications were in place with the public hospitals in Louisiana for Gustav. These hospitals worked well together. Private hospitals.... not as good..no central command. The stress of the system for IKE in Houston is much greater than the stress on the system from Gustav, but we showed that some of the major problems from Katrina could be solved. IKE has shown more problems. 

Unfortunately I am afraid that once again we will identify the problems and when the dust (or water) settles in a few weeks, all will be forgotten and the major medical and disaster organizations, that should be involved, will have moved on...not to return until the next disaster. We, as members of the medical  and disaster societies involved, should NOT let the problems just be hidden, but should be the proverbial 'pain in the A--' until a method of not repeating our same mistakes is reached.

Norman

Norman McSwain MD
Trauma Director, Charity Hospital
Professor of Surgery, Tulane University
New Orleans LA
504 988 5111
norman.mcswain at tulane.edu <mailto:norman.mcswain at tulane.edu> 

________________________________

From: Errington Thompson [mailto:errington at erringtonthompson.com]
Sent: Sun 9/14/2008 12:39 PM
To: 'Discussion of Critical Care Medicine'
Cc: McSwain, Norman E Jr.; NDMSMD at aol.com; trauma-list at trauma.org
Subject: RE: [CCM-L] ?? DMAT "Military" hospital and/or clinic

Well stated. 

Errington C. Thompson, MD

Trauma/Surgical Critical Care

Talk Show Host - WPEK

www.whereistheoutrage.net

Asheville, NC

From: ccm-l-bounces at ccm-l.org [mailto:ccm-l-bounces at ccm-l.org] On Behalf Of KMATTOX at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 1:27 PM
To: drsirmons at gmail.com; DMATNEWS at MEDICCOM.ORG; Redstart at aol.com
Cc: nmcswai at tulane.edu; NDMSMD at aol.com; trauma-list at trauma.org; kburkholderallen at buckeye-access.com; ccm-l at ccm-l.org
Subject: Re: [CCM-L] ?? DMAT "Military" hospital and/or clinic

I raised QUESTIONS that absolutely MUST be asked.    What ever medical assets are used during a disaster MUST be coordinated and integrated.      From Allison as well as from Katrina, both in Louisiana and in Texas, many questions still remain regarding silos and just when and where local and outside medical resources should be used.    In addition HUGE numbers of questions about just what disaster toys should be in place for EMS, EOCs, and hospitals and just who should and is deciding the list and why?     I do believe that everyone on the trauma and critical care lists would agree that much better communications must exist.     The minor conditions certainly do not and should not clog the major trauma centers and coordinated local and outside assets are beneficial as long as there is a communication link.    I only know of ONE politico geographic area that has such coordinated communication - the State of Connecticut.   As of this morning I can share with you on line or off line a long list of new things which were recommended to occur after Allison (not by me, but local and state EOC personnel) and again loudly after Katrina (again, not by me but by non-medical EOC persons.    Now we are repeating some of the discoordinated efforts, to the determent of many of the component parts.       

It is a societal shame that the silos in which all of us live have no windows.    Unfortunately, the weeds at the base of these silos contain snakes, crocodiles, poison plants, and bear traps.    

NDMS, DMAT, CMOS, FEMA, etc. etc. do some very good things, but everyone agrees that each of these areas need some real major changes.    Not only myself, but also many clinical professional organizations from the AMA, ACEP, ACS, etc. would be happy to be painfully honest on how all of us can work much better together.     

k

In a message dated 9/14/2008 11:43:58 A.M. Central Daylight Time, drsirmons at gmail.com writes:

	NDMS was present during tropical storm Allison during June 2001... We had them at LBJ where I was a surgery resident at the time... Dr. Mattox should be thankful all are helping for a common goal, instead of the mentality that he is able to handle all of those patients. With all due respect, sir, thank them for being there. 

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[CCM-L] ?? DMAT "Military" hospital and/or clinic