Nearly 600 first responders and medical professionals gathered in Sun Valley this weekend for the 13th Annual Saint Alphonsus Ski and Mountain Trauma Conference.
“In trauma cases, the first hour – or ‘Golden Hour’ – is the most critical to get medical attention,” said Dr. Bill Morgan, Medical Director of Trauma Services at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical
Center. “However, in backcountry settings, it often takes longer to reach an injured patient and begin
life-saving care. That’s why it’s so important that those backcountry first responders – the ski patrols,
search-and-rescue teams, and paramedics – get the training they need to manage these unique
challenges.”
“As the region's only Level II Trauma Center, Saint Alphonsus is committed to helping our partners
get the training to allow for the best chance of survival in emergency care,” Dr. Morgan added.
The conference features lectures, hands-on workshops and simulations covering a wide range of lifesaving techniques, including full patient assessment, injury treatment, and developing evacuation/rescue plans. Other sessions will deal with head injuries, delivering babies in extreme conditions, neurotrauma assessments, field management of hypothermia and frostbite, and assessing and treating intoxicated patients. “Stop the Bleed” classes will be offered to teach how to pack a wound and proper use of tourniquets, and there’s even a session on wilderness first aid for dogs.
Speakers and presenters represent a wide range of subject matter experts in fields as diverse as emergency transport medicine, wilderness medicine, neurosurgery, pediatric and neonatal critical care, trauma and surgical critical care.
