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)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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