NEWS
IMPACT: BOWIE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ‘Golden Hour’ will deteriorate when patients must travel further for care
Editor’s note: IMPACT is an ongoing series exploring the consequences the possible closure of Bowie Memorial Hospital could mean for the community and county.
This is part two of a story on the Bowie Ambulance Service. It focuses on the medical services provided by the EMTs and how time plays a vital role in that care. Without a local hospital available to send a patient, the “golden hour” for a trauma event could be jeopardized.
Doctors often call the first hour after a traumatic or medical event as the “golden hour,” the time where the event can be treated with the most positive results.
Dr. Surinder Aujla has served as medical director for Bowie Ambulance Service since 1985, when he and a few others organized a training schedule for the service moving it from “load-and-run” to more sophisticated care.
“The ambulance service was upgraded and is now state-of-the-art. They treat and stabilize in the field, which has resulted in an increased quality of care and the number of lives being saved,” said the director.
The “golden hour” term comes from the military battlefield, where it was determined those stabilized within one hour had a much better outcome.
Aujla said nothing has changed. Read the full news feature in the mid-week News.
Pictured above: Last May, Bowie ambulance personnel rushed an injured city worker to an ambulance and then a helicopter after he was crushed while working inside a fiberglass tank. Firefighters worked diligently to extricate the man from inside the tank, while trying to care for his medical needs as much as possible. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The Bowie News office will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the Christmas holiday, and Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.
There is an early deadline of 4 p.m. on Dec. 27 for the Jan. 1 Bowie News for all news and ad items.
Your Jan. 1 edition will be delivered to the mail and racks one day earlier due to the New Year’s holiday. We hope you have a great Christmas week.
Your Bowie News staff wishes you the blessings of a wonderful Christmas as you enjoy time with family and friends. Our offices will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the holiday.
Montague County Commissioners wrapped up a few items before the end of the year as they met on Dec. 23.
Grant Coordinator Charley Lanier asked the court to go ahead and obligate $276,961.84 from the American Rescue Funds to complete the new wastewater treatment plant that will serve the courthouse complex.
He explained Dec. 30 is the last date where grant funds can be obligated, and he did not expect any issues since this project had already been approved in court using ARPA funds, he called it a “safety net,” to avoid any problem and possible return of the funds to the federal government.
Montague County has about $276,961.84 in grant funds which has not been allocated.
The court gave approval on the request.
Lanier also asked the court to apply for a grant for a tire cutter. Funded through the Nortex Regional Planning Commission and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the application will ask for $26,865 to purchase a larger gas-powered cutter on a trailer, which can be moved around for use. It would cut the larger tires into four pieces, which would be allowed into a landfill. Lanier said if the cutter comes through the county would need to obtain a permit for its use from TCEQ, which he added should not be an issue.
Commissioner Mark Murphey said he picks up more tires abandoned on the county roads than he disposes of at his own yard, adding he probably has 500 at his yard. The court gave approval to apply for this competitive grant.
The remainder of Monday’s brief meeting were year-end items. Bonds for the justice of the peace one, county clerk, county attorney, district attorney, sheriff, commissioner three and constable two were accepted.
A cooperative agreement with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the county was approved, along with a license and services agreement with Local Government Solutions to provide software for both justice of the peace officers. The county attorney’s Chapter 59 Asset Forfeiture report was presented with no new seizures or forfeiture.
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