For Immediate ReleaseContact: Daron Cowley801-442-2834[email protected]
LOTS OF BANDAGES, SPLINTS, ASPIRIN, AND OTHER MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO BE USED DURING OLYMPICS
Salt Lake City, Utah, January 15, 2002 - If you take the three million bandages that will be used in providing medical services at various Olympic sites and lay them end-to-end, the bandages would stretch nearly the entire width of Utah. But bandages are just one small part of the numerous medical supplies that will be needed for the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Four years ago, when Intermountain Health Care (IHC) was selected by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee to be the medical services provider for the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, work began to determine exactly what medical supplies and equipment would be needed to provide care for athletes and spectators.
IHC will staff 35 temporary medical clinics - one for athletes and one for spectators at each of the major Olympic venues, plus several other sites - that will provide first aid and basic care. There will also be a clinic in the athlete's Olympic Village at the University of Utah staffed by the school's medical center. In addition, about 125 mobile medical staff and 150 ski patrol members will circulate around the various venues to provide care to athletes and spectators.
Nearly 1,400 different medical items will be stocked to provide medical coverage for the Games. The supplies have been provided by Cardinal Health, Inc., an official supplier for the Olympics, and its subsidiary, Allegiance Healthcare Corporation. Some of the medical supplies include:
* 70,000 aspirin* 175 heart-starting defibrillators* 364 exam tables* 10,016 rolls of medical tape* 647 thumb splints* 1,558 ankle braces* 170,136 antacid tablets* 177 tweezers* 36,882 pairs of examination gloves* 29,812 doses of liquid antacid* 1,314 arm slings* 720 scissors* 92 stretchers* 7,800 tongue depressors
"It definitely is a lot of supplies," said Ginny Borncamp, director of medical services for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee and an IHC employee. "With the large variety of settings, risks, and sports in so many locations, we've had to do some careful planning to make certain we have the necessary medical supplies effectively allocated."
Most medical services required by Olympic athletes and visitors will be provided at the competition venues. It's anticipated that the clinics will see about 10,000 patient visits during the Games.
One unusual aspect of these Olympics is that after the Games, an inventory of any remaining supplies will be conducted. "From past Olympics we only know what supplies were put in place before the Games, said Borncamp. "With the data we gain from this inventory, we'll be able to share with future Olympic hosts what supplies they'll actually use in providing medical services."
What will be done with any medical supplies remaining after the Games? "Some equipment and supplies will be used at clinics in our area that provide care to low-income and homeless individuals," said Borncamp. "They'll definitely be put to good use in helping our communities."
IHC is a charitable, community-owned, nonprofit health care organization based in Salt Lake City that serves the health needs of Utah and Idaho residents. The IHC system includes health insurance plans, hospitals, clinics, and affiliated physicians. Last year, in more than 100,000 cases, IHC hospitals and associated clinics provided $33 million in charitable assistance. A central part of IHC's mission is to provide quality medical care to persons with a medical need, regardless of ability to pay.
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