10-09-00 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 912000 stated that time is precious and he asked that the Council please consider his story in making their decision. Ms. Darla Woodward, 20320 Topaz, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she is a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital. Ms. Woodward relayed a tragic event that occurred this summer involving her fifteen (15) month old niece who drowned in the family pool in Goshen. Ms. Woodward gave the details of this tragic event which included the fact that much time passed before her niece reached Memorial Hospital in South Bend because she was being-transported by ambulance. Ms. Woodward stated that her niece is now walking and talking and has recovered. However, people think that tragedies only happen to other people. When you are directly affected by a tragedy you look at life differently. Ms. Woodward asked each member of the Council to walk in the shoes of this tragedy that she and her family went through and asked that the Council please support this helicopter service at Memorial Hospital. Ms. Theresa Dlugosz, 19302 Eagle Cove Drive, South Bend, Indiana, told the Council her experience with her grandson who was critically ill in Davis County Hospital in Washington, Indiana. She rioted that a helicopter was requested from St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis and it was only a matter of a few minutes before her grandson was loaded in and taken away. When they arrived in Indianapolis a medical team was there to meet the helicopter. She stated that it is true that the loading and unloading is done very quickly. Minutes and seconds do count. Her grandson is now home and she is sure he would n' ever have made it had it not been for the helicopter. She asked that the Council please adopt this bill. Mr. Brad Kaizer, 57107 Lone Oak Court, South Bend, Indiana, informed the Council that he is a senior trooper with the Indiana State Police assigned to the Indiana Toll Road for the last thirteen (13) years. Mr. Kaizer recounted his personal experience of being in an accident on the Toll Road in which three (3) people died and three (3) people survived. Mr. Kaizer explained that when an ambulance is sent to an accident on the Toll Road it takes a long time because the traffic makes it almost impossible for the ambulance to get to the scene of the accident. Once at the scene it takes sometimes takes up to twenty (20) minutes just to get the victims free from the wreckage. They recently called the Life Line helicopter out of Kalamazoo to transport two (2) patients to Fort Wayne. One survived, one did not. Time was of the essence. He noted that weather also makes a difference and that the snow is not always plowed in such a way that an ambulance has access to the accident. He recalled that they once had to have an ambulance drive four (4) or five (5) miles to the next exit to turn around and go back to get to the hospital because the cross overs were not plowed and impossible to cross. He stated that he believes the air ambulance coming to South Bend is fantastic and this is the best news they have heard in a long time. Mr. Kaizer urged the Council to vote in favor of this service that will save lives and benefit the people of the community and the people who pass through this community. Ms. Kareemah El -Amin, 1213 Diamond Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, told the Council of a bicycle accident that her son had either (8) years ago. He was taken to Memorial Hospital who advised that he be sent to Riley's Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. The ride in the ambulance took two (2) hours. She stated that she can feel both sides of the story about this issue but when it comes to your own family you have to look at things differently. She stated that she believes it is very important to have an air ambulance here in South Bend and it will save lives. She asked the Council to hear both sides but in the long run everyone will see the benefit of having this service in South Bend. Dr. Bunmi Okanlami, 51310 Shamrock Hills Drive, Granger, Indiana, informed the Council that she is the Director of Pediatric Intensive Care Services at Memorial Hospital and is present to speak on behalf of the children and on behalf of the requirement of air transport for these children. She noted Memorial Hospital is the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in the northern Indiana region. At the present time they take care of children who come from cities such as LaGrange, Goshen, Warsaw and Portage and southern parts of Michigan. They come from small community hospitals in those areas because they are severely ill and the small hospitals are not capable of taking care of their condition. She noted that Memorial Hospital sends out a land transport team to pick up these children to bring them to South Bend and there are many occasions when they can't get to certain places fast enough. The time involved in getting these children to critical care services is very crucial. To be able to have land transport is a wonderful thing. She noted that there are certain Ll