Just in case: Baptist Hospital prepared to treat dive injuries

With the sinking of the Oriskany, Baptist Hospital is ready for a possible consequence of converting the former aircraft carrier into the world's largest artificial reef: dive injuries.

Baptist is the only local civilian facility that has agreed to use its hyperbaric chambers for the treatment of decompression illnesses such as "the bends." Earlier this year, the hospital's administrators and physicians determined the community could be in need of the service once divers began exploring the sunken vessel. Although a chamber at Pensacola Naval Air Station is used for military divers, civilians suffering dive injuries previously were transported to Mobile or Panama City for treatment.

Anticipating an increased risk for dive injuries as more and more scuba divers are attracted to the ship, Baptist Hospital officials stepped up to meet the challenge, which required additional training for its staff and physicians and 24-hour staff coverage for its hyperbaric facilities. The hospital's mission is to meet the needs of the community it serves, and this expansion of its hyperbaric program is an example this commitment.