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Moto-Mania
September 27th, 2007, 08:33 PM
With Steve, Bob, and Ken et al. on everyone's mind, maybe Glenn could give us an update on proposed HPR emergency medical capabilities. For example, how far to the nearest ER that can handle race crash trauma? Are there any EMT groups in the vicinity for track days, etc.?

Nothing is going to stop me from riding that track. Just want to know what to expect.

robochoad
September 28th, 2007, 12:40 AM
I dont know how far you consider "too far" to be, but when I had my hit & run tangle with a Ford Explorer back in 2001 the folks over at St Anthony Central in Denver did a first rate job saving my legs. They are a full blown Tier 1 trauma unit there, so they can take the worst of the worst. It's only about an hours drive (roughly) from the proposed site of HPR, and a Helicopter for the really bad cases can touch down about 10-15 minutes after the call comes in, if that long.

I had a really cute flight nurse too, Karen, long red hair *smiles* very pretty lady, almost worth the crash just for her :D

bluedevil
September 28th, 2007, 06:41 AM
the folks over at St Anthony Central in Denver did a first rate job saving my legs. They are a full blown Tier 1 trauma unit there, so they can take the worst of the worst. It's only about an hours drive (roughly) from the proposed site of HPR, and a Helicopter for the really bad cases can touch down about 10-15 minutes after the call comes in, if that long.



I can also speak to the quality of St. Anthony Central's quality of care.... Considering they saved my life. Spent several months in that hospital and despite the injuries I had, they are top notch there....

Wild Cheetah 612
September 28th, 2007, 08:18 AM
Swedish Medical Center is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and saved my life and arm when I got the necrotizing fasciitis. They are badass there!

rforsythe
September 28th, 2007, 08:21 AM
I have to think there is an ER somewhere on the east side of town by now, with as much development as has been going on. Might be one in Aurora that's even closer than Denver, but I'm not sure. You might be able to contact the fire dept. in Byers and ask them where they'd transport a trauma to get an idea of where a racer might end up.

With the design going into HPR and the improvements in the works for Pueblo, my hope is that the increased level of track safety in the state will also help reduce the need for a fast transport. We can never fully eliminate the risk of it, but there is a lot of effort going on into making sure both tracks have features to lower the incidence of serious injury. You guys need to be giving props to the designers and builders of HPR, and to people like Earlene/Jay at PMP and Joe Logalbo who are busting ass to get Pueblo updated with gravel traps, and relocate features which cars don't mind but bikers consider unsafe.

The GECCO
September 28th, 2007, 08:29 AM
Yes, the closest facilities are in Denver. This has always been a concern for the CAMA team and was one of the driving reasons behind our initial efforts to build the track closer to Denver, but factors beyond our control have pushed us to where we are.

Trauma facilities are rated as Level I, II, III, IV, V and non-designated. There is a hospital in Limon, but it is "non-designated". There is a level IV hospital in Hugo, but that's essentially as far as Denver, and in the wrong direction.

Jim Reed, who was the ALS EMT from Western Ambulance this past weekend (and whom I was VERY impressed with) normally works in Strasburg and is very familiar with the medical capabilities of different agencies out there. I will be meeting with him soon to talk over various aspects of all of this, but I think helicopters will definitely be used more, certainly in cases as serious as Bob's.

The good news is that the safety of the participants is a primary concern to the track designer and the enormous amount of land we have to work with allows vast expanses of land between opposing parts of the track and between the track and other roads/facilities. This allows for massive run-off areas and nearly eliminates the need for physical barriers. Where there are barriers planned as a final safeguard, they are so far away from the racing surface that staying upright and carrying enough speed through the dirt and gravel long enough to hit it is virtually impossible. Never say never, but all this means that cases like Bob's will be very few and far between.

ctb
September 28th, 2007, 09:20 AM
There are two on the east side of town that are level II. University of Colorado Hospital at Anschutz Medical Campus(takes their Level II designation with them from the old campus) and The Medical Center of Aurora. To give you some basis for comparison, Parkview, where I understand our guys are is also a II.
The only level I trauma centers in the state are Swedish, St. Ant's Central, and Denver Health, which by heli are all equally accessible.

The GECCO
September 28th, 2007, 10:23 AM
To give you some basis for comparison, Parkview, where I understand our guys are is also a II.

Actually, Bob and Steve are both at St Mary-Corwin, but it's also a level II and has a special brain injury program.

Moto-Mania
September 28th, 2007, 07:45 PM
Thanks, everyone.

Bottom Line: A serious cash victim's "Golden Hour" just got a whole lot shorter out in Byers. But the design of the new track will make it much less likely that anybody will need it - let's hope!

The GECCO
September 28th, 2007, 08:34 PM
Thanks, everyone.

Bottom Line: A serious cash victim's "Golden Hour" just got a whole lot shorter out in Byers. But the design of the new track will make it much less likely that anybody will need it - let's hope!

I'm not sure that's really true. In Pueblo we are so close to the hospital that there's nearly no advantage to calling a helicopter versus an ambulance. The response time of a helicopter to HPR will be roughly the same as an ambulance to PMP. I don't think the response time will change, just the vehicle.