Every summer, Rush University Medical Center conducts a drill to make sure it is prepared for disasters — events like mass shootings and chemical attacks.
What's the focus of this year's training? An explosion at a political convention in Chicago.
“When we sit on the doorstep of United Center, we have to be alert and vigilant, and really be prepared,” said Dr. Nick Causey, director of emergency medical services and disaster management at Rush University Medical Center.
Leaders and organizations across the city have spent months feverishly preparing for Chicago to host the Democratic National Convention, which begins Aug. 19 at the United Center and McCormick Place. It’s an event that will draw national attention, fill hotel rooms and bring money to the city.
Yet Chicago hospitals were also planning for a potential dark side to the convention. They had made plans and rehearsed for an influx of patients in the event of violence or disaster at the convention during this period of political unease — a mood exacerbated by the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
In some ways, preparing for the conference was like preparing for other big events, like the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, the Chicago Marathon and Lollapalooza, hospital leaders say.
In fact, it’s a bit of a relief that the Democratic National Convention is expected to draw far fewer attendees than Lollapalooza, said George DeLeonardi, vice president of security and emergency management services at Northwestern Memorial Healthcare. The Democratic National Convention is expected to draw about 50,000 people, while Lollapalooza typically draws about 100,000 people a day.
In other ways, hospital officials say, preparations for the Democratic National Convention have been markedly different from those for other major events. The convention will feature a number of high-profile figures, will draw protesters, and will take place at a tense time in American politics.
“We’re obviously in a tense environment after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump,” Causey said. “On top of that, we know there will be protesters and agitators. … This is different than Lollapalooza or a concert.”
If people suffer traumatic injuries at the conference, Chicago Fire Department ambulances are likely to quickly transport patients to Stroger Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center because those hospitals are Level 1 trauma centers and because of their proximity to the conference, said Larry Langford, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.
Level I trauma centers are hospitals that provide all basic services in a hospital setting 24 hours a day. They are equipped to treat the most traumatic injuries, such as those resulting from gunshots, stab wounds, and serious traffic accidents.
Northwestern Memorial and Stroger, the closest Level I trauma center to United Center, had been preparing for the conference for months.
Hospitals generally conduct regular drills to prepare for different scenarios. Several hospitals across the city, including Northwestern and Stroger, participated in a drill in June that simulated a radiation-related incident in Chicago. Additionally, Northwestern conducted a mass casualty drill in April.
“We always try to prepare for the worst but hope for the best,” said Craig Williams, chief administrative officer of the Cook County Health Authority. Stroger is part of the Cook County Health Authority. “We almost never know what the world is going to throw at us, so we always have to be kind of nervous.”
In addition to preparing for an event that could see a large number of casualties, Williams is concerned about traffic in the afternoon and evening, as the conference gets busier each day.
“There seems to be more traffic than there would be at a normal Bulls or Blackhawks game in relation to this event,” Williams said.
Williams said the Cook County Health Department typically keeps enough supplies, such as medications and food, for three to four days, and stocks them in case of traffic disruptions.
Cook County Health, Rush and University of Illinois Hospital are also contacting patients who are scheduled for appointments that week to give them the option to reschedule. Rush is also giving patients the option, in some cases, to move their appointments to different Rush locations or meet with providers virtually.
Rush and Stroger also plan to make extra hospital beds available for workers who want to stay overnight, rather than get stuck in traffic at the start or end of their shifts. Hospitals typically offer workers discounted rates at nearby hotels when they have trouble getting around, such as during a snowstorm. But many hotel rooms will be filled with conference goers. Northwestern also plans to have extra beds on hand.
“I’d like to tell you, this place is like glamping,” Williams joked of the bunks that will be placed in the meeting rooms. “It’s a team-building experience.”
The University of Illinois Hospital, which is also located near the United Center, will give its workers the option to sleep in unused dorms and clinic spaces if they choose, said Dr. Janet Lin, an attending physician in the emergency department and co-chair of the emergency management committee at the University of Illinois Health.
Although Rush and the University of Illinois Hospital are not Level I trauma centers, they are still prepared to be on the front lines if something goes wrong during an event.
Rush Hospital is the closest hospital to United Center. It is less than a mile walk from the arena to the hospital. The University of Illinois Hospital is in the same area.
Although ambulances will likely not transport many trauma victims to these hospitals, they may transport patients with different types of injuries.
“In the event of a mass casualty incident, the idea is not to overburden any one hospital,” Lin said.
These hospitals can also receive patients by car or on foot, due to their proximity to the United Center.
“One of the things we know specifically from mass casualty events is that 80% (of people) who call for emergency services after these events are not coming in via fire department 911 ambulances, they’re coming in via private vehicle,” Cozzi said.
During the June drill, Rush envisioned a scenario in which more than 60 patients sought care at the hospital, with many crossing bridges over Interstate 290.
“We want to be prepared for this event where people come in looking for emergency services and they don’t know what the hospital’s capabilities are specifically, they’re just looking for medical care,” Cozzi said.
When trauma patients arrive at Rush's door, on foot or by private car, the hospital typically stabilizes them and then transports them to a comprehensive trauma center.
If patients flood into Rush, the hospital can transform its lobby into an extension of the emergency department, thanks to technology built into the hospital walls. The hospital’s ambulance bay can also be converted into a mass decontamination unit, in case the hospital receives many patients who have been exposed to certain substances such as pepper spray or a baton or who have been subjected to a chemical attack.
In addition to the training conducted in June, Rush Hospital recently conducted an additional training where emergency medicine residents wore headsets to participate in a virtual reality simulation of a mass casualty event. The scenario was a bombing on mass transit.
“There are things we know and there are things we don't know, but we can control what we can control,” Cozy said.
Originally published: August 6, 2024 at 5:00 am
