After a cargo ship reportedly lost power and hit Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge at about 2 a.m. March 26, the bridge collapsed. Employees not on call at the University of Maryland Medical Center soon began calling to ask if the hospital's trauma center needed volunteers.
The medical center notified physicians and other staff about a potential mass casualty incident after telling first responders they could receive up to 10 critically injured patients. Nursing coordinators acted like "air traffic control for patients in the hospital," Rishi Kundi, MD, critical care surgeon, said in a press conference.
At any time during any shift, the nursing coordinator "knows the condition of every patient in every unit in the hospital," said Dr. Kundi, who was the attending physician at the time of the event. He said employees soon made room for a sudden influx of patients.
The hospital's R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center did not end up calling in more staff because only one patient related to the bridge collapse was admitted. The patient was discharged, and medical center leaders said they could not share more information on the person's condition.
Dr. Kundi said a bridge collapse can complicate a patient's condition, since there's a potential fall, crash, immersion in water and hypothermia. At the time, the river was 48 degrees.
As of 8 a.m. EDT, the search for six missing construction workers ended because they have been missing for too long, The New York Times reported.