Regions Hospital to staff medical aid stations at the state fair

Nearly 3,000 fair goers treated last year

August 26, 2009

ST. PAUL, Minn., - Regions Hospital Emergency Medical Services will provide emergency medical care and nursing services at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. Last year, Regions medical staff treated 2,933 people at the fair. Most had minor injuries, but 26 people were transported to metro hospitals, including Regions.

"Blisters, cuts, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and dehydration were the top five causes for visits to aid stations," said R.J. Frascone, M.D., medical director of Regions Hospital EMS. "Drinking plenty of fluids and wearing supportive shoes are the two best ways to prevent getting sick or injured at the fair."

Regions EMS has delivered emergency care at the State Fair's medical aid stations for several years, but this is the second year that Regions will be exclusively staffing the stations during all 12 days of the fair. More than a dozen nurses and EMS personnel from Regions will staff the fair's two aid stations. Regions EMS partners with American Red Cross volunteers and St. Paul Fire EMS to provide emergency services to state fair goers.

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Regions Hospital
Regions Hospital is certified as a Level I Trauma Center for adults and for children serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. A private, nonprofit, teaching hospital, Regions (www.regionshospital.com) provides outstanding care in women's health, heart, cancer, surgery, orthopaedics, neuroscience, burn, emergency care and more. Regions is part of the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of healthcare companies that serves 1.25 million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. Follow Regions Hospital at twitter.com/RegionsHospital and www.facebook.com/home.php?#/regionshospital.

Contact: 952-883-5308
612-618-1273 (cell)