ORMC physician gave advice to Las Vegas doctors in July

In July, the medical director of ORMC’s emergency department talked to first responders, trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, nurses and the SWAT team gathered at University Medical Center in Las Vegas for a mass-casualty training.

On Monday, he woke up to the news of Las Vegas massacre.

“It was chilling because of the horrible crime itself and because it happened to be at a location where I had just spoken … only a couple of months ago,” Dr. Gary Parrish said.

Parrish’s message that day: Think about the weeks and months after a tragedy.

“You have to have a road map for recovery in place,” he told them. “You’re going to have to support your caregivers. How are you going to handle donations that will be

coming in, and all the wellmeaning VIPs and dignitaries that will be coming in?”

Parrish, who helped care for Pulse victims last year, was invited to Las Vegas by an emergency physician who approached him after a presentation at a conference in Fort Lauderdale earlier this year. It’s been a recurring theme. “Facilities are very interested in what our story was, and I’m sorry to say is the reason they’re interested is because they fear that this type of event may happen in their city too, and of course, they want to be as prepared as possible,” Parrish said.

And for many, sharing the knowledge has become almost a duty.

“Giving talks is our responsibility now,” said Dr. Joshua Stephany, Orange and Osceola chief medical examiner. “Our part now is to spread our experience across the county, and it’s our responsibility to help people learn from it and to show other people the compassion that we’ve been shown.”

So for the past year, individuals and groups from Orlando’s law enforcement, EMS, hospitals and survivors have regularly traveled throughout the country to talk about the Pulse tragedy — what they did, what they learned and what advice they have — just like their predecessors did after 9-11, the bombings in Boston and the shootings in Aurora, Colo., and San Bernardino, Calif.

The hospital where Parrish spoke is Nevada’s only Level 1 Trauma center and now one of the main hospitals caring for the victims of Monday’s mass shooting.

“I have no doubt that their level 1 trauma center was already very well-prepared,” said Parrish. “I think the little tidbits of information that might improve their response was what they were interested in.”

As he has done at his other talks, Parrish spoke of thinking ahead.

“You need to be prepared for the post-incident phase. What happens after. Not so much from the scene to the hospital, and even in the hospital, but you need to be prepared for what happens after the incident,” Parrish told his audience.

“If one thing that I or anybody else who has spoken to them helped one patient that they took care of, then it was certainly worthwhile,” he said.

In the past few days, some local physicians have reached out to their colleagues in Las Vegas to offer support and encouragement, because sometimes even a small text message can help. They know it firsthand.

Dr. Joseph Ibrahim, trauma medical director at Orlando Health, said on Monday that he had texted a trauma colleague. Stephany emailed his peer at the Las Vegas coroner’s office.

“I told him that unfortunately he’s joined a club that nobody really wants to be a part of,” Stephany said.

The members of this club continue to share their stories and their advice through talks and presentations around the country so that their colleagues will be better prepared.

Just Tuesday, Stephany gave a presentation on Pulse at a conference in Orlando. He’s going to Dallas next month for another talk.

In a couple of weeks, Parrish is going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, then to Yale University at end of month, and then New Jersey next month.

And before long, they’ll most likely share the stage with doctors from Las Vegas.

“Unfortunately, and I’ve said this even after Pulse, it’s going to happen again and it’s a real tragedy that it took less than a year and a half for us to lose the unenviable title as the [site of the deadliest] mass shooting in U.S. history. I really hope this doesn’t become a trend,” Stephany said.