“Where is my seat?” In the Plaza, Katie Ball, a Kettering Health Hamilton emergency nurse, sits with one of the overheated women from Gate C. Katie speaks softly while remaining audible over the air conditioner and the clamor of the concert muffled by the doors. After some rest and water, the patient stands with Katie’s help. Katie then grabs her heavy medical backpack and walks toward the doors. She and Harley Paxon, a Kettering Health Miamisburg emergency nurse, are one of three roaming teams tonight. Like the other 30 team members, they wear gray shirts with “MEDICAL TEAM” across the back, pants with cargo pockets holding stethoscopes, and tennis shoes. When the concert ends at 12:45 a.m., they’ll have walked more than eight miles in six hours. “It’s overwhelming and exciting,” says Katie. “But I love being among the community.” They roam portions of the stadium, responding to anyone needing care. Dehydration burdens most patients, even those in the shade of the concessionstand tunnels where the humid air is popcorn-scented. As more people enter, Katie, Harley, and the other roaming teams increasingly encounter tonight’s most popular—and unanticipated—question: “Excuse me, where is my seat?” A mass casualty incident “Event medicine is a juggling act,” says Tony. “There’s always an element of chaos, but you try to control what you can.” That chaos may include directing hundreds of attendees to stadium staff for help finding their seats. Or it might be the challenges of torrential rain or oppressive heat. At 11 p.m., the Cincinnati Fire Department declares downtown an MCI—mass casualty incident—because of the heat. Doing so funnels resources to area hospitals, helping them stay on top of the blistering number of heat-related emergencies coming from the concert and a nearby Reds game. With almost 30 years’ experience, Tony has seen event medicine grow more challenging, even dangerous. He knows his role is to care for those at an event by caring for his team—preparing them to care for others during both normal and critical situations. “Failure to plan is failure on my part,” says Tony. “You’re only a leader in a moment of crisis. Other than that, you’re just in charge.” 34,000 people unaware Tony walks toward the Plaza as the night’s last act finishes. On his way, he pauses, taking in the concert’s final minutes. As the stage and stands glow purple and blue, the artist’s voice and the crowd’s singing meld together to become a 34,000-person choir. Most of them sing unaware of the canopy of care around them, until they need it. For Tony, that’s how it should be. He and the team wait to leave until the stadium is empty of concertgoers. Hitting the road at 1:30 a.m., Tony starts his two-hour drive home. In fewer than 12 hours, he’ll return to lead another team of Outreach coordinators and nurses for Saturday night. Janet Jackson is headlining. Stadium staff expect 40,000 people. And the heat index is projected to be 102 degrees. —Continued from page 9 Emergency Outreach WHO DEY? To learn more about Kettering Health’s partnership with the Bengals, visit ketteringhealth.org/bengals to sign up for monthly updates on our events with the Bengals and the community. 10 ketteringhealth.org
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