SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — Days after a bus crash on I-90 things are getting back to normal for the staff at Avera St Mary’s Hospital in Pierre.
The hospital became the destination for almost a dozen injured passengers after their bus rolled near Murdo. Late Saturday afternoon word of the crash came to Pierre. Off duty staff rushed to the hospital preparing for the worst.
Construction to begin on Cliff Ave and I-229 interchange
“The ER doctor on duty that day issued a mass casualty, which is a protocol we have in place here at the hospital, said Dr. Titus Weller who works in the emergency room.
It is something every hospital trains for.
“So when it happened, we really didn’t know what we were going to have as far as patient needs,” said hospital CEO Shantel Krebs.
“We had heavy wet snowfall and the roads were less than ideal, what amazed me was just the amount of response that we had form really all gamuts of care, said Dr. Brandt Becker.
“We had almost 60 people in our labor pool that showed to help and be prepared and ready when those patients arrived,” said Krebs.
“Multiple specialties again whether it be surgery, radiology, ER we had family practice docs, internal medicine, pediatricians here there wasn’t a specialty that we have her that wasn’t here caring for patients,” said Brandt Becker.
Dr. Eldon Becker, The hospital’s trauma director and a general surgeon for 36 years was on call that day. He is one of three general surgeons at Avera Saint Mary’s
“We at Avera St Mary’s we’re family we know just about everybody by a first name basis.”
And that’s very true of one of his fellow surgeons. Eldon knows Brandt Becker’s first name, because he gave it to him when he was born. This father and son duo has been working together for 12 years.
“It is good being like minded and like trained and so, I called my son Brandt Becker and partner Riley Lamb because ultimately as much as we can not function without this team, trauma does come down to the three of us, said Eldon Becker.
Eldon says working beside his son is special. Brandt is lucky to have his dad as a mentor and says he is lucky, in more ways than one, to work at a place that feels like family.
