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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Emergency Responders Gather for Trauma Symposium

Joplin, Missouri after last year's devastating tornadoes
Joplin, Missouri after last year's devastating tornadoes

Emergency responders and other healthcare providers are gathering Friday and Saturday for the 23rd annual Trauma and Emergency Symposium in downtown Wilmington. 

WHQR’s Jessica Ferrer reports that the event includes national speakers who were faced with handling two of the most high profile American tragedies last year.

Dr. Peter Rhee was former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ surgeon. He will speak about the challenges of managing media attention and keeping the public informed about the condition of Giffords and the other survivors of last year’s Tucson shooting.

Jeff Hamilton will speak about the tornadoes that raged through Joplin, Missouri and destroyed a local hospital. As the emergency management coordinator for that disaster, he will talk about the responsiveness of the medical community.

In North Carolina last year, dozens of tornadoes killed 24 people. Along with the human toll, thousands of homes were either damaged or destroyed.

The event will be hosted by New Hanover Regional Medical Center and the South East Area Health Education Center.  

Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? If so, we'd like to hear from you. Please email the WHQR News Team.

Jessica is a junior at UNCW pursuing a B.A. in communication studies with a minor in journalism. She worked on an audio project similar to NPR's StoryCorps over the summer where she interviewed mentors and their mentees on the UNCW campus. This project inspired her to work more with public radio and the media. She is also a contributing writer for the school's newspaper, The Seahawk. Jessica loves her job as a resident assistant, trying out new restaurants, working out so she can keep eating at new restaurants, and bringing news to the community.