STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The 2024 Ski & Mountain Trauma Conference will take place Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 6-8 at Sun Valley Resort.

The conference offers hands-on medical simulation courses, workshops and lectures conducted by medical and wilderness experts. Those who wish can obtain 13 hours of education credit.

The unique conference is designed for EMTs, paramedics, ski patrols and just-plain outdoor enthusiasts who want to improve their wilderness medicine and rescue skills.

This year’s conference will feature Dr. Michael Lauria, who will share his tale of saving two critically injured sailors onboard a ship, utilizing a daring technical rescue that included cutting-edge burn resuscitation and management.

Workshops will include mapping for search and rescue, unleashing the power of mental reframing, navigating wildland fire and incident medical care, nutrition and wellness, assessing and intervening in multiple injuries, escape room trauma, mass casualty triage, orthopedic injury prevention training, head injuries, the benefits of PTSD, essential ski and mountain medical skills, managing frostbite and spinal cord injuries.

An EMT-P from Jackson will give contestants a chance at Rescue Jeopardy, while MaKenzie Tiegs, the owner of Raw Thoughts Podcast, explores ways to challenge negative thought patterns.

The conference draws about 600 people from about 10 states each year. It is particularly valuable for those in rural areas who do not have access to some of the readily available training that might be available in bigger cities. And it offers plenty of suggestions for dealing with injuries and other health predicaments incurred in the wilderness far from an emergency room.

The conference is part of Saint Alphonsus’ mission to supporting rural agencies, whether they’re staffed by volunteers or paid professionals.

“First responders are the first line of rescue and therefore a critical piece of any trauma program. Our team that cares for injured patients in the hospital can’t do their jobs without the initial work of those who must make critical decisions in the field, to stabilize and transport patients in a timely manner to our trauma center,” said Dr. Parker Fillmore, trauma medical director at the Boise-based hospital..

Learn more at https://na.eventscloud.com/website/74522/.