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Western Pa. Crews Primed to Treat Spectators at the U.S. Open

by MICHAEL WALTON, JUNe 18, 2016, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
 

June 18--For the slices and breaks that happen off the fairways, medics and doctors at the U.S. Open are well-equipped.

They can administer IVs, defibrillate a struggling heart, start breathing tubes and stitch up cuts, all within the confines of first-aid tents scattered across Oakmont Country Club's sprawling golf course.

Often, though, Open ailment treatments come down to a shady place to rest and something cold to drink. Dehydration, heat exhaustion and foot pain from walking the hilly course in bad shoes top the list of spectators' most common problems.

"You're giving out Band-Aids for blisters more than anything else," said Jeff Wess, a paramedic and EMS coordinator at Forbes Hospital, who's volunteered at Oakmont during the Open three times.

But the relatively mundane nature of the Open's average medical issues shouldn't belie the preparation and coordination that go into medical services for the tournament, which is expected to attract more than 215,000 fans and vendors through its conclusion on Sunday.

The Open's medical planning, like all the event's logistical preparations, started two years ago, United States Golf Association officials said.

Emergency medical agencies and hospitals from across Western Pennsylvania contributed volunteers, resources and equipment, while University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Allegheny Health Network each sponsored two first-aid tents on the course.

Plum EMS coordinated efforts among emergency medical agencies. Plum EMS operations director Chris Hendershot said volunteers from other agencies double the size of Plum's 35-person staff during the Open.

"We're very proud of our staff and what they're doing here, but this is not possible without the help of surrounding agencies," he said.

Eight bicycle medics circle the Oakmont course at any given time during the tournament, in addition to four medic teams on motorized carts.

Roy Cox, City of Pittsburgh EMS district chief, and Alec Ajhar, a paramedic with Southbridge EMS, patrolled the course on bikes Wednesday morning, responding to calls and familiarizing themselves with the area's limited access points and dense crowds.

Bikes allow medics to get around quickly, and Cox and Ajhar said they'd likely be first on scene to any reported emergency. From there, they can provide first aid and prepare patients for transportation to a first-aid tent, or an ambulance headed to a nearby hospital in more serious cases. Equipment bags on their bikes carry everything from standard gauze and ice packs to cervical collars and oxygen cylinders.

The pair said they'd responded to only a few minor incidents Wednesday morning, but Ajhar said that Tuesday, he helped treat a man who fell in a sand trap and broke his ankle.

"The challenging part and the most interesting part is you never know what you're going to encounter," Cox said.

At a UPMC first-aid station near the third hole's tee, doctors, nurses and EMS specialists attended to a host of walk-in patients Wednesday morning. One man reported his girlfriend's shoulder, injured in an old car crash, was acting up and asked for ice. A woman said her son wasn't feeling well from the heat and wanted to lie down.

Dr. Vincent Mosesso, UPMC's prehospital care medical director, said one of the biggest issues facing medical teams ahead of the tournament is deciding what supplies and equipment they might need.

"We have to try to preplan what things are reasonable to bring out," he said. "We're actually well-stocked to handle most emergencies."

Karen Klein, a LifeFlight nurse at Allegheny General Hospital, said follow-up care for injuries such as rashes and cuts presents another problem. Klein said she can suggest a clinic or office a patient can visit when they leave the tournament, but it's up to them to follow through.

"One gentleman needed a tetanus shot, and he's from Orlando," she said. "He doesn't know where to go for something like that."

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