By: Michael Watts II, NDG Special Contributor
Last week, was a very challenging time for America. Innocent lives taken away. We remember Alton Sterling, killed in Baton Rouge, Philando Castile from Minnesota and then five police officers killed at a peaceful protest in Dallas.
Monday Parkland Hospital’s medical staff held a press conference to describe the scene in the ER after the shooting.
The team at the media briefing comprised of Capt. Dan Birbeck, Dallas County Hospital District Police Officer, Medical Director Alexander Eastman, the Chief of Rees- Jones Trauma Center, Dr.Brian Williams, Staff Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Minel, the Chief of Surgical Services, Dr. Todd Minshall, the Chief of Surgical Critical Care, Jorie Klein, the Director of Rees- Jones Trauma Center and Karen Watts, the Executive Vice- President and Chief Nursing Officer.
The staff shares the emotional toil of Thursday
Dr Joseph Minel opened the press conference with thanks to the police for their service and offered condolences on behalf of Parkland to all the families, friends, and officers in regards to losing their loved ones.
Inside the trauma center, over 300 people were patients before the shooting began. They received 134 more patients after the mayhem. Between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., the trauma center received 17 victims for evaluation.
One of the doctors talked about what it was like inside the trauma center when the injured police officers arrived.
“I was on duty when the officers were brought in,” said Dr. Brian Williams, Staff Surgeon of the Rees- Jones Trauma Center. “It’s been hard on the Dallas Police Department and law enforcement all over the country. This situation has hit me hard, being a black man and seeing the things that have happened in Baton Rouge, Minnesota and even Dallas. I can’t complain about my life; it’s nothing compared to what the victims’ families and loved ones are going through.”
Nevertheless, Dr. Williams points out the violence must end.
“Black men dying and being forgotten. People retaliating against the people that are sworn to defend us. We have to come together and end all of this.”
The police had a few things to say concerning the aftermath of the shooting.
“We have over 3,700 police officers and they are like family,” said Capt. Dan Birbeck, Dallas County Hospital District Police. “The support that the Dallas Police Department has been shown is overwhelming and has uplifted me spiritually and I thank everybody for the support.”
The press conference closed with a call by all doctors for the community to come together in this time dark hour and to show love toward one another.
Parkland Hospital is inviting victims to their Psychological Service Center. They want to provide each with an opportunity to express how they are feeling after last week’s the tragic shooting.
