Planning for an annual episodic mass gathering: emergency department and clinic utilization in Yellowstone

Objective Planning and providing emergency and primary care for a large transient population of visitors and employees in a national park can be problematic. Furthermore, planning for emergency and primary health care needs of visitors and itinerant workers in a wilderness area national park has not been well documented. A study was performed to analyze emergency and primary health care utilization in a national park. Methods Data was gathered from all patients presenting to Lake Hospital Emergency Department in Yellowstone in 1995, and a retrospective chart review was performed. Results Two distinct populations with different health care needs were identified. Conclusion Utilization analysis revealed differences between conventional mass gatherings and the mass gatherings in Yellowstone. Because of the unique conditions and populations found in a wilderness area, conventional mass gathering emergency medical service models may not be an appropriate model for planning health care in a national park. Analysis of utilization data can help plan resources for emergency and primary health care for a park population.