What happens when your pediatric emergency department gets the call: a school bus rollover, 30 children involved, injuries unknown?
That’s the question we posed to Dr. Matt Harris, PEM physician at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, EMS medical director, and seasoned emergency planner. In this episode of Doctors Are People Too, Dr. Harris walks us through the anatomy of a pediatric mass casualty incident (MCI)—from the moment of notification to the final debrief hours later.
“Preparedness is not proprietary. If one hospital system fails, we all fail.”
This episode is not just about readiness—it’s about the decisions you make in the first five minutes, the partnerships you build before the sirens start, and the systems you train every week so they work every time.
🛠️ Key Takeaways from the Interview:
- MCIs are about capacity, not just casualties
An “MCI” occurs when your resources are overwhelmed. It’s not just about the sheer number of critically ill children. - Drills > Policies
Dr. Harris emphasized that high-functioning MCI plans are drilled frequently—not filed in a dusty binder. “Hospitals that drilled regularly returned to baseline within hours of real MCIs.” - Pre-plan the chaos
Assign roles, clear rooms, stock RSI meds in advance. “Every patient gets one team. You need the right body—not just any body—in that room.” - Two waves in pediatrics
“First you get the field patients. Then the transfers from the non-trauma centers. Children’s hospitals must prepare for both.” - Stand-downs and Snickers bars
Recovery is part of the protocol. “You need a plan for mental health support. Sometimes what your team really needs is 15 minutes, a coffee, or a cry.”
🎧 Listen to the full episode now
🎧 About the Podcast
Doctors Are People Too is a podcast that explores the intersection of medicine, sports, and pop culture. Hosted by Dr. Josh Belfer, each episode explores the different ways in which medicine plays a part in everyday society.
Dr. Joshua Belfer, MD, is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of HipPEMcrates. He can be reached at HipPEMcrates@gmail.com.
