[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 20 (Tuesday, March 1, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               A RURAL HOSPITAL READY TO HANDLE A TRAGEDY

 Mr. DURENBERGER. I rise to commend a Minnesota hospital 
located in rural Minnesota: the Douglas County Hospital of Alexandria, 
MN.
  Several weeks ago, the Nation heard about the tragic multiple vehicle 
accident that occurred on a snow-shrouded exit ramp of Interstate 94. 
The accident occurred 10 miles east of Alexandria, MN, or approximately 
135 miles west of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The accident involved a tour 
bus carrying mostly elderly couples, a van full of young women from 
Fargo, and a highway snow plow. A total of 61 people were injured in 
the accident in one of Minnesota's worst multiple vehicular accidents.
  Of the 61 accident victims, 53 were taken to the local hospital, 
Douglas County Hospital, with injuries ranging from minor lacerations 
to multiple traumatic injuries involving the head, spine fractures, and 
serious abdominal injuries. Unfortunately, six of the young women 
riding in the van received fatal injuries as a result of this accident.
  While I hope my words and prayers will comfort those who were injured 
and their families, especially for those who passed away, the real 
reason I bring this tragedy to the Senate's attention is to let the 
Senate and the Nation know how proud we are of the way the Douglas 
County Hospital and the community of Alexandria responded to this 
disastrous event.
  The Douglas County Hospital is a relatively small hospital, having 
only 127 beds and 41 active staff physicians. It serves a predominantly 
rural area and is the only hospital in the county.
  Within 30 minutes of the accident, patients began arriving at the 
hospital and all 53 were transported to the hospital in less than 2 
hours. Although responding facilities can be overwhelmed by both the 
suddenness and size of a catastrophe like this, the Douglas County 
Hospital was not overwhelmed. The hospital immediately implemented its 
disaster plan and began expanding its treatment areas and calling 
essential staff to care for the large number of critically injured 
patients. In total, the hospital called in over 100 additional hospital 
staff which included over 20 local physicians to handle this disaster.
  Of the 53 patients brought to Douglas County Hospital, there were 6 
fatalities, 4 transfers to major medical facilities by ground ambulance 
and helicopter, 7 patients admitted to Douglas County Hospital, and 36 
patients were treated and released that same day.
  Mr. President, because of my roots in rural Minnesota, I have been a 
longtime champion of rural health care. This incident highlights the 
fact that rural medicine is effective and responsive. In addition, as 
we debate national health care reform, we should take note of the 
hidden lessons from how Douglas County Hospital reacted to and handled 
this tragedy: all components of a communitywide rural health care 
system including hospital, physicians, nurses, law enforcement, 
ambulance, rescue, and fire can effectively handle a disaster situation 
such as this with proper planning, dedication, and coordination, thus 
debunking the idea that all sophisticated health care can be provided 
only in large metropolitan health centers.
  When the tragedy occurred only one hospital and only one community 
were nearby to help, and they did that job very well. Their 
preparedness and expertise provided comfort and gave hope to the 
victims they treated on that cold, snowy morning. The Douglas County 
Hospital and the town of Alexandria deserve the Nation's recognition 
not only for their good work that day, but also for reminding us of how 
important high-quality health care providers and facilities are in this 
Nation's less populated areas.
  Accordingly, Mr. President, I rise to not only send my prayers to 
those who were killed and injured in that terrible accident, but to 
recognize the good work performed by the Douglas County Hospital. 
Toward that end, I ask that this newspaper article accompany this 
statement in the record.
  The article follows:

               [From the Fargo (MN) Forum, Feb. 9, 1994]

                  Alexandria Hospital Staff Was Ready

                          (By DeAnne Hilgers)

       Alexandria, MN.--Douglas County Hospital had been preparing 
     itself for a disaster and Tuesday morning it struck.
       Six people died and 50 were injured in a pileup involving a 
     snowplow, van and tour bus on Interstate 94, 10 miles east of 
     Alexandria.
       All the fatalities and nine of the injured were with 
     Josef's School of Hair Design in Fargo. They were in the van, 
     on their way to the Twin Cities.
       The nine van survivors were all in serious or critical 
     condition, hospital administrator William Flaig said.
       The tour bus was on its way to casinos in Wisconsin and 
     Minnesota.
       Ambulances and a school bus arrived at the hospital's door, 
     bringing in victim after victim, 53 in all.
       Hospital staff were ready.
       It took only moments to put their emergency plan into 
     action and call in all the extra help they needed.
       ``I'm really pleased we were able to handle it,'' Flaig 
     said. ``That was our biggest concern. As caregivers, that's 
     our first priority but sometimes it's hard to keep emotion 
     out of it.''
       The plan involved every department, from administration to 
     nursing to dietary.
       Each department has a representative who meets with Flaig 
     while other staff attend to details in their department.
       ``The main thing we want to do in a disaster situation is 
     to have the right people doing the right things,'' Flaig 
     says.
       As the plan unfolds, some staff bring extra supplies to the 
     emergency room and others start a pyramid system to call 
     extra help.
       On Tuesday, the ambulatory surgical unit and rehabilitation 
     center were turned into additional emergency rooms and a 
     triage site, where victims would be separated and attended to 
     according to the severity of their injuries.
       About 100 extra staff were called in to the hospital 
     Tuesday, which employs 500 people.
       Among them were 21 extra general surgeons, internal 
     medicine specialists and family practitioners. One or two 
     physicians typically attend the 24-hour emergency room.
       Grief counselors such as social workers and clergy also 
     received the call.
       The accident happened at a good time for notifying staff, 
     Flaig said. Several doctors were making rounds at the 
     hospital while others were just getting ready for the day.
       Among the 50 injured crash victims, according to the State 
     Patrol, eight went to Sauk Center, with the majority going to 
     Douglas County Hospital.
       More than 30 people were released from Douglas County 
     Hospital Tuesday afternoon.
       Two tour bus passengers were transported to St. Cloud. 
     Douglas County Hospital typically doesn't handle the injuries 
     they suffered, a cervical spine injury and facial injuries, 
     Flaig said.
       Two of the van's passengers was taken to Hennepin County 
     Medical Center in Minneapolis with multiple trauma injuries, 
     he said.
       All of them were transported by ground ambulance. Bad 
     weather grounded the hospital's helicopter ambulance.
       The hospital was able to handle those who died in the 
     morgue it has but ``we couldn't have handled any more than we 
     have at this point,'' Flaig said Tuesday afternoon.
       This is not the first time the hospital has handled 
     tragedy. In November 1990, hospital staff tended victims from 
     a school bus-train accident that killed two and injured 21 in 
     Miltona, Minn.
       Two years earlier, the hospital handled an accident that 
     killed four and injured 11 when a van carrying 12 youths from 
     a juvenile correctional facility to a movie collided with a 
     semi on I-94 one mile east of Alexandria.
       By law, the hospital must have a disaster plan in place. 
     They practice mock disasters twice a year, Flaig 
     said.

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