The Kid Experts^® at Children’s Minnesota train Minnesota Air National Guard members during mass casualty simulation

The Kid Experts^® at Children’s Minnesota trained U.S. Air Force servicemembers from the 133rd Medical Group during a mass casualty exercise. The mission: Train the military medics on how to care for pediatric trauma patients during an emergency such as an explosion in a local community. The simulation at the Minnesota Air National Guard’s facility in St. Paul put 46 of the unit’s members within interactive environments. Multiple medical manikins and 30 kids and teens had moulage (specialized medical makeup and special effects) applied to create realistic looking injuries depicting varying degrees of trauma.

The kids were triaged and cared for depending on the severity of their injuries inside three military tents. Throughout the day, the Children’s Minnesota simulation program brought together more than 20 experts from Children’s Minnesota programs including the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), emergency and pediatric trauma care, respiratory therapy, child life, the emergency response training center, and the center for professional development and practice. They taught the 133rd Medical Group about the unique clinical and emotional differences of treating trauma patients who are children compared to adults. Children’s Minnesota is the only health system and Level I Trauma Center in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children from before birth through young adulthood.

Before the interactive simulation, specialists from Children’s Minnesota provided focused skills practice and classroom instruction to prepare for the afternoon simulations for the 133rd Medical Group. Children’s Minnesota and the Minnesota Air National Guard have collaborated together to hold this interactive training every two years since 2015. Members of the Military and Veterans Employee Resource Group at Children’s Minnesota also participated in the event.