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Houston EMS providers preparing for Super Bowl crowds

More than 100 health care professionals are suiting up for any medical problems that might arise

By Mike Glenn
Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON — As some 140,000 visitors descend on Houston for 10 days worth of Super Bowl contests and concerts — not to mention a certain football game — more than 100 health care professionals are suiting up for any medical problems that might arise.

While Houston is accustomed to major events like the annual rodeo, nothing has been quite like Super Bowl LI in terms of medical preparations. Stations staffed with physicians and nurses, for example, have been set up at Discovery Green and the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Memorial Hermann is a sponsor of Super Bowl LI and is coordinating the medical response.

“It’s just electric down here. This is an exciting event to be a part of,” said Dr. Kevin Schulz, an emergency room physician at Memorial Hermann and UT Health. “It’s going to be primarily first aid and to provide a quick assessment.

Most of the medical staff will come from the emergency medicine side of the house although physicians who specialize in sports medicine also will be on hand at the aid stations.

“We’re going to be there to provide that initial support. We’re not going to be doing X-rays,” said Dr. James McCarthy, chief of emergency medical services at Memorial Hermann and UT Health.

While some of the physicians will be based at the medical stations, others will be roving throughout the Super Bowl LIVE events at Discovery Green.

“I’ll be out here pretty much every day - either working myself or coordinating to make sure the operations are rolling smoothly,” Dr. Schulz said.

The idea behind the focused medical response is to have doctors and nurses on hand so they can address any medical problems that won’t require a hospital visit.

“We’re expecting very large crowds there. There is not quick access to medical care in those places,” Dr. McCarthy said.

It’s important to understand that the Super Bowl is not a one-day event, McCarthy said, although it may seem that way to television viewers outside Houston.

“This is a huge 10-day-long event. It’s really a mass gathering situation,” he said.

Harris County Emergency Medical Services controls ambulances and paramedics at NRG Stadium where the Super Bowl will be played. McCarthy said he will be providing six physicians to beef up the medical coverage inside the stadium.

“These are all people with an emergency medical services background. We’re used to practicing outside the hospital,” he said.

Emergency room physicians and nurses typically operate in a controlled setting - a well-lit hospital room with easy access to labs and other support systems. That’s not quite the case for those with a Super Bowl assignment, however.

“In this setting, you’re working in a tent in a parking lot. It’s not what we see on a daily basis,” Schulz said.

While they hope they only have to tend to skinned knees and an upset stomach or two from an excess of junk food, the doctors assigned to the Super Bowl said they are prepared for any possible circumstance involving mass casualties. Representatives from the medical committee will be at the unified command post alongside public safety agencies such as the Houston police and fire departments.

“In today’s society, it’s something you worry about and something you have to be ready for. We’ve certainly planned for those kind of things,” Schulz said. “The city has done a great job of preparing for those kind of contingencies. We’re going to be there to help out as needed.”

While Houston annually hosts its share of high-profile events - such as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo - the Super Bowl is simply in a class by itself, McCarthy said.

“Let’s be honest. Not many events have the same visibility as the Super Bowl,” McCarthy said. “When you know everyone is watching, you want to make sure it goes off well.”

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