The aftermath of the accident
Passengers who’d been in a Greyhound bus accident in a remote area of Utah were fortunate to have dedicated teams from multiple EMS crews, Sevier Valley Hospital, and other facilities who worked closely together to respond.
The accident happened around midnight on December 28 on westbound I-70 in a remote area. The crash site was approximately 71 miles east of Richfield where Sevier Valley Hospital, the closest facility, is located. Passengers reported the bus had gone off the road and flipped. Many of the 32 passengers were injured and needed immediate medical attention.
Twelve of the passengers were transported to Sevier Valley Hospital thanks to EMS crews who worked in tandem to respond despite inclement weather. When Sevier Valley caregivers got news of the accident, extra support was called in from all ancillary services to assist.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team of caregivers and their willingness to jump in when the call for help was sent out,” says Sevier Valley Administrator Brent Schmidt, who says the hospital began treating patients around 2 a.m. and the efforts continued until 5 p.m.
At least 28 volunteer and on-call caregivers assisted in treatment, including three physicians, 14 nurses, three imaging techs, three respiratory therapists, two lab techs, one EVS tech, a screener, and a patient access representative. They treated seven patients and provided local lodging, one patient was admitted, and four patients required medical transport to a larger facility.
Brent says, “We don't often have these types of accidents creating a large influx of patients coming to our ED, but I’m thankful to know that when it does happen our team is willing to answer the call and provide extraordinary patient care.”
Because of the snowy conditions, Life Flight was unable to operate, which further complicated the response. The Sevier County EMS crew accepted the task and safely transported the four patients to Utah Valley Hospital, plus one other patient unrelated to the crash.
Brent says many caregivers within and outside the Intermountain system offered help, including ED/trauma leadership and people from several smaller neighboring healthcare facilities.
One administrative team member at Sevier Valley purchased clothing for patients whose clothes had to be cut off because of their injuries. None of the patients were able to take their belongings with them from the crash site. Much of the cargo was scattered at the scene and they had no extra clothes.
The Sevier Valley culinary services team worked hard to ensure patients and caregivers were well-nourished and had the energy to cope with the situation’s stress.
Camille Ogden, RN, Sevier Valley ED manager, also shared a touching gesture from Utah Valley Hospital. Around 5 a.m., she says, Utah Valley caregivers posted a message on the Sevier Valley digital tracking board that read, ‘Heard you’re having a bad day. So sorry. Hope everything’s going okay. We love you.’
“Our staff was delighted to find this message was also accompanied by two dozen donuts,” Camille says. “Caregivers’ spirits were lifted by the thoughtful note and gift.”
“Sevier Valley Hospital is grateful for the support received during this bus crash incident,” says Brent. “I’d like to express my admiration for the caregivers and EMS staff involved. They rose to the task, handling a tragic incident with poise and expertise. There efforts were nothing short of heroic. Thanks to our caregivers, 12 frightened bus passengers survived a traumatic accident and were able to fully recover.”