Burgess Health Center Responds to Boy Scout Tragedy

June 12, 2008

Nearly twenty “little heroes” were treated at Burgess Health Center last night following the tragic tornado that struck the Little Sioux Boy Scout Camp, located some 12 miles from the hospital in Onawa, Iowa, the county seat of Monona County.

Dr. Peter Daher, emergency physician that served as the triage physician in the ER at Burgess, praised the calm demeanor of the boy scouts.

“Oh my God. They were little heroes,” said Daher, who saw every one of the scouts that came in with injuries. “These kids were so impressive. They were wet, dirty and muddy. Nobody complained, nobody whimpered or cried, even the critically injured ones.”

Injuries included broken bones, back injuries, lacerations, head contusions and a chest injury. Twenty were transported to Burgess, including 15 scouts ages 13 to 15 years old, two adults and three children. Sixteen were treated and released and four patients were hospitalized.

Following the discharge of a patient today, three persons continue to be hospitalized at Burgess in stable condition. They have requested that no other information be released.

The boy scouts were transported by ambulance around 7:30 to 8 p.m. last night to Burgess, a 25-bed critical access hospital.

Scores of employees and physicians had been called and streamed into the hospital to respond to the disaster. Ministers arrived as well as people with chainsaws and equipment that could be used at the scene.

Burgess enacted its High Level Code Orange Disaster, said Dr. John Garred, Jr., a surgeon and long-time member of the medical center. Burgess conducts disaster drills every year and was planning to participate in a drill involving tornado response on June 19, Garred said. Burgess personnel took part in an actual emergency drill at the boy scout campus just two years ago and conducted a “tabletop disaster drill” just seven months ago at the hospital.

“A large binder arrived at Burgess with the health records of the scouts,” Garred said. “It was very helpful.”

“The emergency response at Burgess went completely great,” Daher said. “I was expecting some chaos, but honestly with the medical staff we have, the personnel and the resources, the response at Burgess far exceeded my expectation.

“Everybody seemed calm and collected,” Daher said “People I didn’t even expect to be involved did a great job. The cafeteria stepped forward with food for everyone. The pharmacy opened. Our radiologist Dr. John Terry was able to read all x-rays and images from Omaha. Our physicians were all caring for patients. The nurses were amazing. Our physician assistants and nurse practitioners were helping as well. The triage team did an outstanding job.

Judy Meadows, a phlebotomist and EMT that worked in the Burgess ER, said the scouts and two adults in the ER were quiet and composed.

“The patients were so calm that it affected everyone around them,” Meadows says. “The physicians and employees were also calm.”

All of paramedics and EMT personnel were doing a heck of a job at the scene with triaging and caring for victims. I was very happy it worked out so well.”

Daher says the response was one of the biggest traumas he’s very been involved in his 16 years as an emergency physician. The Burgess ER physician also works in emergency at Creighton University Medical Center.

Beth Frangedakis, director of the lab and information officer for Burgess, said many employees worked past midnight. Burgess also offered overnight lodging to up to eight parents and grandparents of hospitalized patients.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected by this devastating event. It became a day of pain as well as one of outstanding joy,” Frangedakis said.

. “Total devastation is what I saw,” said Steve Foster, Burgess paramedic who worked at the scene. “I’m surprised there weren’t more fatalities. At the scene we jumped out of the ambulance and were waved over to a boy on the ground.

“I was so amazed at the composure and the scouts who were able to help us. They were pulling rubble off other scouts and trying to find their friends. They were offering first responder, first aid services at the scene. I’ll bet there were more than 200 responders at the scene. It was great to have that much help.”

After working at the scene, Foster then drove came to the Burgess ER room to assist with patient treatment.

“Next week we were going to conduct a tornado disaster drill in Onawa. I think we’ve got it covered now.”