Crisis response leaders who were on site at such national tragedies as the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the Joplin, Mo. tornado will present in Wilmington next week as part of New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Trauma and Emergency Symposium. 

The two-day event begins on Friday, February 10 and will be held at the Wilmington Convention Center. Organizers expect hundreds of people with an interest in emergency medical and trauma services to attend from around the U.S.

Information on the latest medical care as well as strategies for local communities to prepare for disasters will be presented Friday, February 10 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, February 11 from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Dr. Peter Rhee, the director of trauma treatment at the University Medical Center of Tucson, Az. will discuss the challenges of keeping the public informed during a highly publicized event, such as the aftermath of the Tucson shooting when he held daily press conferences to update the public on the condition of the survivors. Dr. Rhee will present on Friday from 1:15 to 2 p.m.

Jeff Hamilton, Emergency Management Regional Manager of Saint John’s Mercy Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. will discuss the responsiveness of the local medical community following the tornado that struck the community’s main medical facility. His presentation will be on Friday from 2 to 3 p.m.

Dr. Lawrence Dauer, assistant attending health physicist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will discuss the preliminary lessons learned from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant disasters in Japan and the health care implications on Friday from 4:15 to 5 p.m.

Emergency vehicles, including NHRMC’s Pediatric Intensive Care Ambulance, will be on display in the expo hall.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center is the trauma center for the region. More than 1,700 patients per year are admitted to the hospital through the center, one of 10 Level II or higher trauma sites designated by the state’s Office of Emergency Medical Services.

The 23rd annual trauma symposium is sponsored by New Hanover Regional Medical Center and SEAHEC (South East Area Health Education Center) to advance care through education. The symposium is open to the public with advance registration.  It runs February 10 from 7:30 a.m. until 5:3 p.m. and February 11 from 7:30 a.m. until noon. A full schedule and registration information are available at www.SEAHEC.net/TraumaSymposium.