'We train for this': Medical staff quickly make room for 28 patients following tour bus crash
Nov 07, 2024
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Thursday's scene on I-490 drew a major response from first responders who rendered aid to 28 passengers hurt in a bus crush.
28 hospitalized, driver ticketed after I-490 bus flip
Dr. Michael Kamali with URMC said his team rallied together a number of resources through the medical centers. He added assets were present on scene as well thanks to efforts by EMS lesions.
Dr. Kamali said URMC initially admitted 13 patients, followed by three more that were transferred from other institutions.
Patients were distributed across URMC to "balance out the load" and save as much space at Strong Hospital for the most critical patients.
One patient arrived in very critical condition and has been in the operating room since. Dr. Kamali noted other patients are still hospitalized with serious injuries. A number of patients are expected to be discharged from URMC soon.
"Any time you have a mass casualty incident, and we train for this quite routinely, again we gathered the resources, we'll hit pause on things until we get a sense of what's going on, and how many resources we need, for example, operating rooms and things of that sort," Dr. Kamali said. "We were fortunate that not many of the patients needed the operating room, so other patients awaiting surgeries could proceed, we had adequate space in the department at the time, so we were able to accommodate all the patients we received from the bus crash as well as other patients that were coming in at the time."
Thursday morning, News 8 heard from CHS Health Care, the first agency on scene.
"As we know, the hospitals are very overcrowded, so we rely on that communication to say, 'What can you take at this time?' and they were very cooperative. Strong being the trauma center for the region, obviously is going to get the sick patients, then we can spread around the walking wounded at this point," CHS Health Care Chief & CEO Frank Manzo said.
Rochester Regional Health took in four patients at Rochester General Hospital, eleven were brought to Unity Hospital.
In a statement, the health system said patients have "already been discharged, some have been admitted, and others are still being evaluated."
Rochester Regional Health also noted it is working with Monroe County to help find food, clothing, shelter, and transportation for the patients involved in the bus crash.
Any relatives affiliated with the passengers on board are asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Victim Assistance line at (585) 753-4455.