PITTSBURGH \u2014 As Pittsburgh prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for next month\u2019s NFL draft, the region\u2019s top medical leaders say they\u2019ll be prepared to treat people as needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been preparing for this for years,\u201d said Dr. Donald Yealy, UPMC Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President. \u201cIt gives us an opportunity to allow our expertise and the city\u2019s expertise to be married up and to make sure that anyone at their moment of need gets the care, whether they live here or they came to visit for the NFL draft.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yealy told Channel 11 that the healthcare system has been working with fellow medical providers, public safety partners and NFL coordinators in order to gear up. Medical leaders have also corresponded with professionals from cities that have previously hosted the Draft. <\/p>\n
Medical staff will be set up in healthcare tents, to soon be built around the North Shore, Point State Park, and other locations near the festivities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have field hospital setups that will allow us with physician care, nursing care, and paramedic care to treat patients for most of the ailments or injuries that they may have,\u201d said Dr. Leonard Weiss, UPMC Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine.<\/p>\n
Dr. Weiss told Channel 11 that the goal is to handle most patient care on site, but that medical crews will be prepared to transfer people as needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will be using all the hospitals in Pittsburgh, and if you think about the layout of Pittsburgh, we\u2019re blessed to have multiple high-end facilities spread over a fairly narrow area,\u201d said Yealy.<\/p>\n
Allegheny General Hospital is located within walking distance of the main stage. Earlier this month, Channel 11 reported that Allegheny Health Network staff were staging a drill simulating a mass tragedy at Acrisure Stadium. <\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Allegheny General Hospital holds drill with actors to prepare for NFL Draft<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s basically to get all hands on deck,\u201d Brent Rau, Medical Director for AGH\u2019s Emergency Department, told Channel 11 at the time of the drill. \u201cWe\u2019ve had everyone on board – from security staff, nurses, doctors – everyone\u2019s going to be able to play a role, because it really does require a multidisciplinary team approach from the hospital to respond to an event like this.\u201d<\/p>\n UPMC leaders say they\u2019ve also customized their drills, and they note that staffing will be robust. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have some customized call schedules and customized shifts just to allow for extra communication and extra transfer of patients as needed,\u201d Weiss said. <\/p>\n The NFL will also have a command center that the hospitals and 911 will integrate into.<\/p>\n Dr. Yealy said that they\u2019re prepared to tackle whatever comes their way.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our chance to shine, and we\u2019ll shine.\u201d<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n