Hennepin Healthcare Workers Crushed by the Cost of Gunfire: “It’s a Public Health Emergency”
MINNEAPOLIS — The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our healthcare workers. But right now, a new public health crisis has become just as crushing. Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota, treated over 1,500 shooting victims last year alone, four per day, a figure that represents four deaths per day. The cost of gunfire has increased from the previous pandemic to the current public health crisis. Last year, 75% of these victims are now survivors. Dr. Jim Miner, chief of emergency medicine, said that the deaths of these young, healthy people are preventable and can lead to death and destruction of young people who don't need to die. The stabilization or stitch room where doctors and nurses treat hundreds of gunshot wound patients is a crucial part of their work. The medical director of the pediatric ICU, Dr. Ashley Bjorklund, expressed concern for the safety of children being exposed to firearms.
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MINNEAPOLIS — The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our healthcare workers. But right now, a new public health crisis has become just as crushing.
Last year alone, Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis treated more than 1,500 shooting victims. That amounts to four per day. Eighty-five percent of them are now survivors.
“All you see are young, previously healthy people in pain and scared,” said Dr. Jim Miner.
“There isn’t a single child who doesn’t make it that doesn’t have an impact on you,” said Dr. Ashley Bjorklund.
“It can be devastating and heartbreaking,” said Dr. Kofi Fosu.
“I feel like the general public has no idea how bad it is,” said nurse Daniela Morales.
These health care workers regularly see the costs of gunfire.
Flashing lights and sirens sound when the call is made for a person who has been shot.
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“They’re super fast. They work fast and act quickly,” said Paramedic Angela of Hennepin Emergency Medical Services.
“We have a team waiting for us. It’s a quick handover,” Angela said.
Care begins directly through the main entrance, in what is called the stabilization or stitch room. It is the place where doctors and nurses treat hundreds of gunshot wound patients.
“Most days we see someone who has been a victim of gun violence. And it ranges from non-fatal, sharp wounds to multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest. And it’s tragic. It’s preventable. It’s death and destruction of young, healthy people who don’t need to die,” said Miner, chief of emergency medicine.
They work to stabilize the patient.
“If someone gets shot in the torso, head or even an upper extremity, the surgeons are on their way when it happens and we try to get access to the IV there, to find out what’s going on, to find out to get where they are.” I’m bleeding,” Miner said.
“It’s really fast. Our idea is multiple people with a lot of skills going as fast as they can and doing everything at the same time. Seconds make a huge difference,” Miner said.
That’s when a trauma surgeon, like Fosu, comes into the picture.
“Bullets are unique because the injuries can be caused so unexpectedly. High impact gunshot wounds can be unpredictable,” Fosu said.
He rushes a patient to the operating room.
“In the OR, we do the crucial part of our work. Basically, our goal is to see what is injured. To stop the bleeding. To stop any contamination. Ultimately, we want to save a life,” Fosu said.
Trewyn, an emergency room nurse, is in the middle of ongoing trauma care.
“It’s mind-numbing to people who wouldn’t normally see that. Baffling to me, who’s seen it for the last 20 years, and I have to put it aside because I don’t know what’s coming next,” Trewyn said.
He has discovered that parenting has changed when he needs to take a break.
“I have to step aside when children come near my children. I know that circumstances could be reversed and I could be in their situation with my children,” Trewyn said.
It is a stark reality of who in the community is affected.
“There’s something different about caring for children affected by firearms. The fact that I even have to say a statement like that,” Bjorklund said.
Bjorklund is the medical director of the pediatric ICU.
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“Some of these children are on ventilators and there are certainly children who we believe will survive initially and later require support for end-of-life care,” Bjorklund said.
“We’re trained to deal with it, but in pediatrics I think we’re pretty intentional about taking the time to think about the care that’s being provided and how it’s impacting us,” Bjorklund said.
And how it changes the way they interact at work and at home.
“More stress, right? More emotional time to spend recovering from the care I provide to patients every day. And a lack of sense of security for my own children. I text parents before they go home: ‘Have you firearms?’ , are they stored properly?’ That is a common text,” Bjokrlund said.
Pediatric nurse Daniela Morales says she’s creating firmer boundaries with family and friends.
“If there’s any kind of unnecessary stress or drama, I have to draw the line. I feel like I can’t tolerate that much anymore,” Morales said.
The hard part comes with this lifesaving work.
“It’s hard to see people get hurt so often and it’s hard to continually deal with all the loss of life that’s just senselessly destroyed,” Miner said.
“You see this violence day in and day out and sometimes you just have to remember why you do what you do,” Fosu said.
These days there’s always another phone call, another gunshot patient to help, another flight for a paramedic.
“You can get frustrated with society just by the recklessness of what people can do to other people. It affects everyone. If you don’t deal with it in a healthy way, it will eat you up and you won’t get in trouble.” this field at all,” said paramedic Angela.
Hennepin Healthcare has what it calls a Critical Incident Support Team. It provides immediate emotional support after a traumatic experience and provides hours of support after a stressful event. In addition, there are regular meetings for departments where a greater number of events occur, such as the emergency department and pediatric intensive care.
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