Following last night’s horrific mass shooting, emergency medicine physicians and mass casualty experts from UCHealth have been in touch with medical providers in Las Vegas to offer support and assistance, and additional counseling resources are being provided to assist medical personnel and patients here in Colorado.
“Today is a sad day for America, and we have reached out to offer our condolences and support to those in Las Vegas including the brave first responders, nurses and health care providers who continue to work heroically to save lives,” said Elizabeth Concordia, UCHealth president and CEO. “We encourage Coloradans to help by supporting each other through these difficult times and to consider donating blood as supplies throughout the region have been depleted.”
Mass casualty events can bring back negative feelings and memories from previous traumatic events including the Aurora theater shooting, Orlando nightclub shooting, Columbine and Sandy Hook school shootings, or events that might have affected a smaller number of people just as profoundly. These feelings and emotions are completely normal, and UCHealth wants nurses, staff, providers and members of the public to know that assistance and resources are available.
“Events like this can have a profound effect on first responders and medical providers,” said Dr. Richard Zane, UCHealth executive director of emergency services and CU School of Medicine Chair of emergency medicine. “After the Aurora theater shooting, UCHealth found that our nurses, staff and physicians needed a significant amount of counseling and debriefing resources. We know that in the days, weeks and months ahead, Las Vegas will see a similar need.”
UCHealth is offering individual and group counseling services to team members who might need assistance, especially those in the University of Colorado Hospital emergency department who helped care for patients injured in the Aurora theater shooting.
Additional information and resources are posted on UCHealth’s website: Las Vegas tragedy: Remember to care for yourself and your loved ones.