Kaitlyn Hughes | news editor

Because of Pittsburgh’s history in emergency care, Dr. Donald Yealy is not worried when it comes to looking after the influx of people during the NFL Draft.

“We have been leaders internationally in the responses to emergency care,” said Yealy, chief medical officer, senior vice president of the health services division and chair of emergency medicine at UPMC. “Emergency care here is so advanced and mature … This is not something new for us.”

As the Steel City prepares for its population to almost double April 23-25, The Duke spoke to public safety officials to see how residents and tourists can stay safe throughout the time of the NFL Draft.

Taking care of an influx of people

As soon as the three-day football event was announced, Yealy said UPMC immediately got in contact with the NFL and started working with their experts.
 

He said that UPMC is no stranger to handling medical care during events like these, citing their medical services during the Pittsburgh Marathon, Rockin’ Regatta hosted by Pittsburgh Brewing Company and even emergencies such as the shooting at Tree of Life Congregation.

UPMC will have pop-up facilities staffed by experts in front-line care for issues such as bruises, scrapes and symptoms unrelated to trauma in the North Shore, Point State Park and Market Square.

Allegheny Health Network has a similar approach to the draft.

AHN Downtown Express Care will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. beginning April 22 through April 25 for non-emergent medical needs, according to a news release. AHN Mobile Clinic will be stationed in Market Square to offer first aid and address minor health concerns, as well.

Closer to the draft’s main stage, physicians and nurses from AHN Prehospital Care and AHN Allegheny General Hospital will staff a medical tent near Acrisure Stadium, and AHN officials will operate a command center on Pittsburgh’s North Side to manage patient flow across care sites, according to the news release.

UPMC partnered with the city and county to figure out how to transport patients to health care facilities around the city.

“The closest place as the crow flies may not be the easiest place to get to,” Yealy said. “One of the advantages of Pittsburgh, inside of 10 minutes driving you have choice between six different sites, three level-one trauma centers. We have an ability to serve that’s different than most other cities.”

He said that these facilities will be fully staffed to handle what is commonly expected to arise during the draft.

“Given the fact that we can spread this over more than one facility, it’s not just one place that has to shoulder the burden,” Yealy said. “I think the need to dramatically up staff any one site is less.”

He said UPMC has not had to order any extra supplies because they “have to be prepared for an unexpected influx [of people] all the time.”

Employees are trained to handle an inundation of people in their facilities by identifying who needs care at a local site versus care at a hospital and understanding how to communicate with the patients and other workers.

As the draft nears closer, Yealy said he is constantly asked if the need for health care goes up, down or stays the same during that time.

“My answer is: Yes, all of them,” he said. “We are prepared for the worst but expecting that the changes may be fairly modest or they could be dramatic. In other words, I won’t be able to predict. What I can tell you is I’ll be ready.”

‘Significant increase in police presence’

Pittsburgh police Chief Jason Lando told The Duke they will be treating the three days of the draft similar to the day of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“We are going to have a significant increase in police presence,” Lando said.

Pittsburgh City Council approved agreements with 18 law enforcement agencies who will assist during the draft.

When it comes to transportation, Lando encouraged people to carpool with others or utilize public transit when driving around the city.

“Traffic is going to be bad,” he said. “There is no work around there.”

Despite any vehicle-related challenges, Lando said he is confident in what the public safety entities around the city have planned for the week of the draft.

“We want people to come down, have a good time, enjoy themselves,” he said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Duquesne University Police Chief Eric Holmes said Duquesne Public Safety will be partnering with other law enforcement agencies and Duquesne’s Director of Emergency Management and Threat Assessment will be working at the city’s joint operations center to oversee patrol operations.

“During the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Duquesne University Police Department will continue to focus on keeping campus safe while staying closely connected to broader public safety efforts happening across the city,” Holmes said.

Jackson Vidaurri, public information manager for the Detroit Police Department, said hosting the draft was a big effort and took collaboration and partnerships. They had to ensure that they were providing policing to every part of their city.

Shannon Seymer-Tabaska, operations manager for the Green Bay Police Department, also said they took time and effort to prepare for the event.

She said they had a multi jurisdictional team made up of local, county, state and federal partners for the draft.

“I just think it comes down to communication and coordination,” Seymer-Tabaska said.

Kaitlyn Hughes can be reached at hughesk10@duq.edu