In the symphony of emergency medicine, the emergency physician may be the conductor, but many other professionals make up the orchestra.
Last Tuesday, at the public comment session for the Alaska Regional Hospital proposal to build an emergency medical facility in South Anchorage, I was impressed by the misconceptions surrounding this proposal. An emergency medicine physician at Alaska Regional Hospital spoke in support of the project, stating that what makes a medical facility an emergency department is the presence of an emergency medicine physician.
In the symphony of emergency medicine, the emergency physician may be the conductor, but the orchestra is the surgeons, cardiologists, neurologists, blood bank interventional radiologist, pediatric intensivists, technicians, pharmacists, labor and delivery nurses, respiratory therapists, mental health staff, social workers and a huge host of other specialty providers available on site when minutes matter.
South Anchorage residents spoke during the public comment period, wanting a hospital in South Anchorage, wanting a place to treat trauma in South Anchorage, wanting emergent mental health care in South Anchorage, and wanting a destination for ambulance with emergency medicine patients in South Anchorage. Yes, South Anchorage would benefit hugely from a hospital and emergency department. But five beds and one emergency medicine physician will not, and cannot, provide these services.
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