Mass Casualty 101: Real-Life ER Disaster Planning with Dr. Matt Harris

🎙 Welcome back to Doctors Are People Too! In this powerful episode, we dive into the chaos, coordination, and critical decision-making behind mass casualty incidents (MCIs) — with the expertise of Dr. Matt Harris, a pediatric emergency physician at Cohen Children's Medical Center and nationally recognized leader in disaster preparedness.

Episode Highlights:

🔹 What is an MCI? Dr. Harris breaks down the pediatric lens of mass casualty events and what defines one in different hospital settings.

🔹 Planning from the Ground Up – From trauma bays to blood banks, hear how top children’s hospitals prepare for large-scale emergencies — and what most people overlook.

🔹 Pre-Hospital to Post-Event – Why your EMS partnerships matter before the sirens, and what happens after the adrenaline fades.

🔹 What Actually Happens When the Call Comes In – A real-time walkthrough of the first 5 minutes after a school bus crash with dozens of injured kids.

🩺 Key Takeaways:

✅ The non-negotiables of a hospital MCI plan.

✅ What it means to "set the tone" as a leader under pressure.

✅ How drills, logistics, and even vest colors can save lives.

📢 Whether you're a frontline clinician, an educator, or a medical student watching The Pitt — this episode will change the way you think about emergency readiness.

#DoctorsArePeopleToo #MassCasualty #PediatricEmergency #DisasterPreparedness #HospitalLeadership #ThePitt #EmergencyMedicine #MCIs