Because people do get sick and people do get injured, CALM needs to be prepared 24 hours a day for medical emergencies. Hopefully with good supplies and with a good crew, all problems can be handled on site. We try at all times not to burden the communities which are near where we are gathering. Most communities near our Gatherings are rural and most of these small communities have limited medical resources. Because we have had 30,000 people at our Gatherings, we could potentially overwhelm these communities’ ability to respond if a serious problem develops. Since CALM should be able to handle 99% of all health problems, it is best to encourage all Gatherers to visit CALM before using local facilities. It is also important to stabilize anyone with a serious illness or injury before he/she is transferred out.
Prior to the start of the Gathering, a CALM crew contacts the health department and local hospital to inform them that a Gathering will be happening in their area and to establish a good working relationship. The Forest Service is a good resource to find out where the nearest emergency facility is located. It is important that at least two people met with hospital personal because in Rainbowland, it is a Family policy that at least two people are always needed to represent the Family in dealing with local authorities. These people let the hospital know that we are very experienced, we have our own supplies, and that we will try to impact them as little as possible. It is important to learn what level of care each hospital is capable of rendering and what their transfer policy is.
It is important to know if the hospital has a cardiac unit, orthopedic surgeons, a burn unit, head and spinal cord units or if serious injuries are transferred out to another facility. Sometimes our Gatherings are in places where there are several hospitals in the area. By knowing which hospital deals best with each type of problem, the CALM crew can make better decisions as to which facility to send a person. Because of various state and local regulations, there might be other reasons why a patient might be transferred to one hospital rather then to another.
Find out about the local ambulance service and learn how long it takes to transfer a patient from the site to the hospital. Learn all tricks to quick transfer. It is wise to establish a relationship with the local ambulance drivers. (Because we established a personal relationship with the local ambulance crew in Vermont, we were able to shortstop hospital transfers and deal with the patients ourselves.) If the hospital is many hours away--such as in Nevada and Wyoming--check with the local health department for the feasibility of helicopter transfers in true life-and-death situations. If helicopter transfer is an option, rope off an area close to CALM for a landing pad and make sure no one puts up a tent there.
When speaking with the hospital, let them know that there are only specific people in the CLAM crew who have the authority to decide when a hospital transfer is necessary. Generally there is a posted list of five to ten very experienced CALM healers who can make the call. At least two of these people must okay all transfers. The hospital also has this list, which helps the hospital staff know that this is indeed a serious medical problem. If a cell phone is available, a CALM member will call the hospital to inform them that the patient will be arriving and to will give a report as to the patient’s vital signs and condition at transfer. If a cell phone is not available, contact the Forest Service so that they can expedite the transfer information.
There should be a well running and maintained vehicle at all times available for hospital transfer. A driver and a CALM crew member accompany the patient to the hospital. The crew member will give a full report to the triage nurse at the hospital. Someone needs to stay with the patient until the patient is properly evaluated by hospital staff and then needs to report back to the CALM healers who made the transfer call so that continuity of care can be maintained. Arrangement must also be made for the patient to get a ride back to the Gathering and to inform specific friends/family members of the patient’s status. (see Plugging In for other information on ambulance crew.)