FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Oct. 6, 2016) -- Womack Army Medical Center's mass casualty exercise stepped out of the ordinary Oct. 5, testing the capabilities of numerous facets of the hospital's capabilities in response to different challenges it may face.
The Emergency Department received an influx of patients in response to a notional multi-vehicle traffic accident on post. Even during a mass casualty event, the ED still has the normal patient load that it must balance on any given day. The staff had to continue to care for the patients who weren't role players in the exercise, while providing care to the notional patients exhibiting serious injuries.
Two of the patients participating in the exercise needed care beyond the capabilities of Womack, requiring a medical evacuation from the facility via helicopter.
The event helped test the developing relationship between the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade and WAMC for MEDEVAC support.
"The partnership we're building with the 82nd CAB is extremely important when it comes to our patient care mission," said Lt. Col. Sean Fortson, chief, WAMC Emergency Department. "Having medical evacuation assets right here on post increases response time and allows us to evacuate patients to get the care they need even faster."
Maj. Natalie Farley, a critical care nurse assigned to WAMC, works closely with the 82nd CAB as mission capabilities are being tested and developed.
"It's really a win-win situation for everyone," said Farley. "It allows the pilots and crews to get the flight time they need and gives the nurses the experience they need, especially for when they deploy. Performing a medical evacuation on a military helicopter more closely matches the experiences they'll have in theater and will help them be better prepared to take care of casualties overseas."
The rest of the hospital was testing its capabilities, as well. A notional power outage required patients to be evacuated from the wards using the stairwells. For the stairwell evacuations, mannequins were used in to represent all the patients being evacuated.
Infants and children from the pediatrics ward were carried down by staff members while adult patients were strapped to medical sleds to be maneuvered downstairs and through the hallways. The mannequin patients were then loaded into a vehicle for transport to another location where they could receive medical care.
"It's very important for us to learn how to properly use a medical sled, especially when working in a hospital setting," said Sgt. 1st Lemuel Nacionales, a licensed practical nurse and the noncommissioned officer in charge of 4 South at WAMC. "While it's pretty easy to use, it's still important to make sure we're ready and trained in order to be able to move our patients safely in an emergency situation."
Womack holds mass casualty exercise twice a year, focusing on different scenarios each time to ensure it remains prepared for emergency situations.
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