Minutes after a sniper began targeting police officers at a rally in Dallas on July 7, Stephen Burgher, M.D., got a text from his son: “There’s a rally in Dallas, and there have been some shootings. No report of casualties. Praying for you, Pops.”
But there were casualties. Dr. Burgher, an ER physician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, was already caring for one of them when he received his son’s text.
Due to its status as a Level 1 trauma center and its proximity to the rally, Baylor Dallas cared for several victims of the shooting; both police officers and one civilian. And while Baylor Dallas often trains for all types of emergencies, it’s impossible to predict how people will respond until there is an actual event.
“You can train for it. You can rehearse it,” Dr. Burgher said. “But when it comes to the actual event, there are lots of questions — how many victims will we have, how many caregivers will we have and how will they respond?”
The response from everyone on duty that night was heroic. The team quickly grew. Many ER employees who weren’t on duty came to the ER after hearing the news. As the first causalities arrived, including a wounded officer whose partner drove him there in their bullet-riddled police car, ER staff immediately began triage, stabilizing those with the most critical injuries.
“I’m really proud of Baylor’s response and how people worked together,” Dr. Burgher said, describing the effort as a coordination of “a team of teams.” The term is based on a book he recently read called Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Responding to crises like this requires tight collaboration among physicians, nursing staff, respiratory therapists, technicians, transporters and staff in radiology and the blood bank. “That whole team needs to integrate seamlessly with the trauma surgery team that performs lifesaving work in the operating rooms.”
Dr. Burgher received his medical training in the Navy and has completed two combat deployments to the Middle East.
“At one point, I looked over at Dr. Michael Foreman, the lead trauma surgeon that night, and said, ‘I feel like we’re in Afghanistan.’”
As teams of Baylor Dallas staff cared for the casualties, others consoled police officers, as well as spouses and family members of the victims.
As staff began returning to work for their next shifts, chaplains offered debriefing sessions for employees. “We do have a resilient staff,” Dr. Burgher said, “but it’s been harder on some than others. The chaplains are a great resource to work through the grief.”
After the shooting Joel T. Allison, president and CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health, commended those caregivers — both those who responded that night and on other occasions throughout our system: “You were there to heal and comfort – time and again, you’ve been there. For the victims of the Fort Hood shooting, the biker shootout in Waco, the explosion in West and so many other crises that befall our neighbors every day. We are so grateful for our people, and I honor the men and women of Baylor Scott & White for their commitment to our mission to help and serve others.”
For more information about Baylor's emergency and trauma care, contact Tim Moore at 214.820.7877 or Tim.Moore@BSWHealth.org.
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