Trauma, the San Francisco ER, Already Being Panned By Critics

Hi JimH,

Thanks for your reply; I want more detail if you have it available.

1) How do you define "rich?"
2) Do you have any data to back up these claims about the population of people that oppose the helipad (I'm happy to read it, but you give no supporting information)
3) How do you know what the doctors support -- I'm interested (genuinely) to see this in more detail.

I am generally known as a rather kind and not "selfless" or "heartless" person so I'm happy to hear the facts.

Thanks.

Well, get income statements from the homeowners of Potrero Hill and calculate the median household income, somewhere in the six figures I'm sure. They are rich, as a group.

Or take the leadership elements of the NIMBY groups in the Potrero Hill area, I think there are two or three. Figure out their net worth and average income. That's what I'd call rich.

Do you want to put this helipad issue to a citywide vote? I don't think you would.

All the endorsers on your website are just other NIMBYhood groups that are scattered about the city, with the possible exception of the Democrat(ic)? Club, which I think was started for the District 1 Supe race just recently.

How many people are dead right now because of the lack of a helipad. Any idea? How many people die each year? Do you know? Do you care?

What doctors oppose the helipad? Anybody? Why would a doctor oppose a helipad?

On it goes:

"In a November 2001 Report on the SFGH Trauma Center, the American College of Surgeons stated:
'The lack of a helipad and helicopter service is a major deficiency in providing optimal trauma care for San Francisco General Hospital and San Francisco. It is difficult to understand why a city the size of San Francisco does not have any medical air transport. The congested roads and bridges with the surrounding water make helicopter service an essential medical support service.'"

"The World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Rhode Island nightclub fire of 2003, the Madrid commuter train bombings of March 2004 and the London Underground and bus bombings demonstrate the need for a coordinated multi-casualty incident plan which uses regional trauma resources in a timely and efficient manner. The national disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the intense hurricanes seasons of 2004 and 2005 demonstrated once again the need for and value of coordinated medevac services in times of natural disasters."

"As a Level 1 Trauma Center, SFGH is required by both the American College of Surgeons and the State of California Level 1 Trauma Center regulations to reach out to other community hospitals and lower level trauma centers as a resource and referral center. That means that the expertise in injury care that has been SFGH’s reputation since 1972 must be extended to the greater Bay Area community."

"The primary reason for having a helipad at SFGH is that the 2001 Trauma System Plan for the City & County of San Francisco (adopted by the Health Commission and approved by the State of California) has identified the lack of air medical transport into and out of San Francisco as a major vulnerability in our system of patient care."

"Currently, there is no air medical access in our entire city. During the March 2004 survey of the SFGH Trauma Center, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma also cited the lack of a helipad as a facility “weakness”."

The American College of Surgeons, in their formal site survey report, strongly recommended the development of air medical access in order to allow tertiary care to critically injured patients. This type of access is inherent in the mission of a Level I Trauma Center.

"Of note, SFGH is the only Level I Trauma Center in the State, and possibly the nation, that does not have a helipad. SFGH does not have the capability to rapidly transfer critical patients out should the Medical Center be at capacity (for example during a disaster) or to transport very young children to the closest pediatric trauma center at Oakland Children’s Hospital. It is important to note, that critical trauma patients who are injured in the recreational areas within the current SFGH catchment area are being air transported to other trauma centers in other jurisdictions. The people who live, work and travel to San Francisco deserve the opportunity to benefit from the Level I trauma care that is available in their own city."

Unless you're an anti-helipad activist opposing all the helipads in the state, you, sir, are a NIMBY. If you don't consider yourself rich, that's fine. Most rich people wouldn't call themselves rich either.

If you don't want to hazard a guess as to how many people die each year due to the lack of a helipad at SFGH, that's your choice as well.

Sleep well tonight, "poor" NIMBY.

You just really hate me, don't you. I'm trying to work with you on this, I really am. I have an open mind. Are you like this in person?

You, your campaign, and your website are pretty horrible, that's true, Tony.

You have an open mind about the helipad, but you run the anti-helipad site?

Have you killed more people than Crazy Rob Anderson? Maybe. You two should hang out.

Here's what the NIMBYs think - they think that they're website is persuasive.

They are obsessed with home values, that's the primary issue.

I wouldn't mind a pad on my roof, if it would help. Bring it.

The only argument that is even remotely reasonable that I've yet heard (and this includes checking out the website) is that a new helipad would need to be built after seismic upgrades are completed. It certainly makes sense not to spend a lot of money to construct a helipad if we'll just have to tear it down in a few years and build a new one.

The other arguments, though, almost all break down into "it'll be too noisy!" and "they just want to treat wealthy people from... SOMEWHERE ELSE!". Plus, c'mon, under people being affected it manages to rope in all the stereotypes: the poor, children, schools when the last two are listed only under the complaint of that scary, scary noise.

You live in a city, if you can't handle the noise... move.