Fifth Anniversary of Boston Marathon Bombing
On the eve of the 2018 Boston Marathon, we wish all the participants a safe run tomorrow. And we remember all those who are still experiencing the aftermath of the 2013 Marathon Bombing.
Not a single person who reached a Boston hospital alive on April 15, 2013 died, a stunning result of years of preparation and teamwork. It Takes a Team provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the level 1 trauma centers involved that day ensured that their staffs had the emotional backing, resources, and systems in place so they could focus on their seriously injured patients. Click here to download the report for free.
We thank the many people whose dedication to disaster-preparedness helps ensure that the 2018 and future Boston Marathons will go on.
Marathon Bombing Anniversary: Reflection, Gratitude, Hope
Three years ago today, the 2013 Boston Marathon was stolen from the athletes and the city by two terrorist bombs, which led to four deaths and hundreds of injuries. In March 2014, in conjunction with our friends at the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT), JBJS published It Takes a Team, a special report on the emergency preparedness, long-term care, and outcomes for many of those caught up in the Marathon bombings. This report is available online for free.
Not a single bombing victim who reached a hospital alive on April 15, 2013 died, a stunning result of years of preparation and teamwork. It Takes a Team provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the level 1 trauma centers involved that day ensured that their staffs had the emotional backing, resources, and systems in place so they could focus on their seriously injured patients.
As runners and spectators prepare for the 2016 Boston Marathon, we remember those we lost, those who survived, and the countless number of people who are helping those affected face the future with hope and dignity. We also thank the many people whose dedication to disaster-preparedness helps ensure that the 2016 and forthcoming Boston Marathons will go on.
Jason Miller
Executive Publisher, JBJS
Portrait of an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon and Compassionate Caregiver
Dr. David Lhowe, orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, spent time in a makeshift field hospital next to what was the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks and a month on a US Navy hospital ship helping survivors of the Indonesia earthquake—the deadliest natural disaster in recorded history. Lhowe calls these opportunities to help “an unbelievable gift” in It Takes a Team—The 2013 Boston Marathon: Preparing for and Recovering From a Mass-Casualty Event, a special report co-published by JBJS and JOSPT.
It Takes a Team describes how Dr. Lhowe performed surgery on Kaitlynn Cates after she sustained deep-tissue shrapnel wounds in her right calf from the Boston Marathon bombings. Cates appreciated his clear and calm explanations of the surgical plan and what would happen after. “In emergencies, it’s often hard for patients to concentrate, so I try to simplify to the best of my ability, lay out the main points of consideration or concern, and continue the conversation later,” he said.
Cates still occasionally visits Lhowe, even though she’s been discharged as a surgical patient. “I find talking to him very comforting,” Cates said. In addition to helping her navigate clinical intricacies of her ongoing care, Lhowe simply lends a sympathetic ear. “If I have the time to talk and if talking helps her, that’s great,” he said.
It Takes a Team-The 2013 Boston Marathon: Preparing for and Recovering From a Mass-Casualty Event is divided into three parts:
- Part 1: Readiness—Fortune Favors Prepared Teams
- Part 2: Response and Recovery—April 15 Through December 31
- Part 3: The Road Ahead—A Long Haul for Each and All
Caring for Caregivers Was Key After Marathon Bombing
Events like the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing can have a tremendous emotional impact on any care provider—physicians, nurses, imaging techs, registration and administrative personnel, transporters, and housekeeping staff. “The solution is not to tell people to ‘suck it up,’” insisted Ron Walls, MD, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Many of the stories in It Takes a Team—The 2013 Boston Marathon, a new Special Report jointly published by JBJS and JOSPT, emphasize the importance of caring for the caregivers–making sure the basic physical and emotional needs of clinicians are met so they can do their jobs of caring for others.
It Takes a Team provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the level 1 trauma centers involved that day (Tufts Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s, Boston Medical Center, and Mass General) ensured that their staffs had the emotional backing, resources, and systems in place so they could focus on their seriously injured patients.
Not a single bombing victim who reached a hospital alive on April 15, 2013 died, a stunning result of years of preparation and teamwork. But the lives that were given back to the survivors had changed forever—along with the lives of the clinicians who cared for them. Everyone directly exposed to the Marathon trauma will have emotional ups and downs, and those who seemed unaffected early on may develop problems later. So caring for the caregivers will be an ongoing obligation.
It Takes a Team—The 2013 Boston Marathon: Preparing for and Recovering From a Mass-Casualty Event is divided into three parts:
Part 1: Readiness—Fortune Favors Prepared Teams
Part 2: Response and Recovery—April 15 Through December 31
Part 3: The Road Ahead—A Long Haul for Each and All
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