Nurses step up to the plate for fans

As the Blue Jays hit the field, the medical team scans the 50,000-plus crowd. To a fan, this sunny, hot day is the best outcome; to the stadium medical team composed primarily of North York General Hospital (NYGH) health care professionals, this day could mean a busy shift, mostly by way of dehydration.

The first distress crackles on the radio: “We need medical attention…”

The team springs into action and begins preparing the first aid room, hoping it's a mild foul ball injury or just the need for band aids for feet torn apart by new summer sandals. With this many fans there is a good chance it could be something more; something that requires medical attention like an anaphylactic allergy, heart attack or a cardiac arrest.

NYGH health care professionals Helen Kelly, Jennifer Page and Susan Woollard are stadium nurses during Blue Jays games at Rogers Centre.

From left: NYGH health care professionals Helen Kelly, Jennifer Page and Susan Woollard are stadium nurses during Blue Jays games at Rogers Centre.

Most cases prove to be manageable in the stadium. There are three first-aid emergency rooms at Rogers Centre, stacked with everything from defibrillators to Tylenol. While safety is top priority, the stadium medical team  — mostly NYGH, also includes members from other hospitals — knows that fans want to be treated quickly so they can get back to watching the game. Only in the most extreme cases does a patient require care in a nearby hospital. 

“We'd never rush a treatment or compromise health, but sometimes it's the soft skills of the job that make the biggest difference,” says Andrea Ennis, stadium nurse and Clinical Team Manager at North York General's Charlotte & Lewis Steinberg Emergency. “An injury from a foul ball is usually treated with ice and Tylenol, but for a five-year-old boy a batting practice ball from the Jays dugout is often the best treatment of all.”

Susan Woollard, a stadium medical team member and Director of NYGH's Medical and Critical Care Program, says the team is well trained for a variety of emergencies. “Just like in the hospital, every situation is different,” says Susan, who started working for the Blue Jays in 1989. “We're used to quickly assessing the patient's immediate needs and making split decisions. We have to be ready for whatever comes our way.”

As fans themselves, the team members are cheering for another stellar season for the Toronto Blue Jays. “Last year was such an exciting time to be in the Rogers stadium, we are anxious to see how the Jays perform this year,” says Helen Kelly, a stadium nurse and NYGH Emergency Department (ED) Clinical Nurse Educator. “We are all ready to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable season – all the way up to the World Series!”

NYGH health care professionals are part of a team providing medical care at Blue Jays games.

Stadium nurses Andrea Ennis and Jennifer Page

“We're so excited for them to go all the way this season,” agrees Jennifer Page, also part of the team and another ED Clinical Nurse Educator. “The stadium vibe last year was absolutely electric and it was wonderful to be part of it.”

Editor's note: The nursing team is well supported by a group of physicians including Drs. Sean Caine, David Carr, Jean-Pierre Champagne, Irving Feferman and Arun Sayal, also from North York General Hospital.

This article first appeared in the June 2016 issue of The Pulse.

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