Bridge Collapse: Member of National Crisis Response Team Available

Don Patterson, a member of the Red Cross National Crisis Response team, is available to talk about the emotional impact of the I35W bridge collapse on the broader community. Patterson, a chaplain at Regions Hospital, has been a member of the National Crisis Response team since 1999. His service includes offering emotional and spiritual support to recovery workers and the community in New York City after 9/11. Two months later, he was called back to New York to provide support after American Airlines flight 587 crashed in Queens, NY. Last year, he spent three weeks in New Orleans, providing services to victims and the community after hurricane Katrina.

“After any disaster, there is collective grieving,” said Patterson. “Whether or not we knew any of the victims, everyone is affected in some way from a loss of a sense of security or innocence and for many months to come we will experience other losses such as time in traveling or patience,” he added.

Patterson is available for interviews Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. To schedule an interview call Regions Hospital 24 hour pager: 651-629-0411.

Regions Hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and teaching hospital serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. Regions is a private, non-profit hospital providing outstanding care in women’s health, heart, cancer, surgery, orthopaedics, neuroscience, burn, emergency care and more. Regions is part of the HealthPartners family of care. HealthPartners is the official medical provider of the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Paul, Jan. 20-27.

 Contact:  Jennifer Kovacich Pager: 651-629-0411  

SOURCE: HealthPartners