UI children’s hospital staff practice emergency response to mass casualty event

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IOWA CITY — When emergencies happen, and multiple people are injured — some severely — hospitals can be overwhelmed with patients, stretching their resources and straining their ability to respond.

That’s why training events like the one held at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital on Friday are so important.

The hospital — which does not have an emergency department — could receive patients in a mass casualty incident, so it’s important for staff to practice their emergency protocols, drill organizers said.

“The emergency department is not located in the children's hospital, but people seeing the tower, especially if they have injured children, will come here. So,