Pa. hospital that treated Donald Trump after assassination attempt relied on preparation and focus

Hospitals prepare for emergencies, but it’s likely no one truly fathomed what would unfold at Butler Memorial Hospital Saturday.

Former President Donald Trump was treated at Butler Memorial Hospital after an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania Saturday night.

Former president Donald Trump was taken to the hospital Saturday after being wounded in an assassination attempt at a rally in western Pennsylvania. The president said a bullet struck him in the ear, and the gunman killed one man and injured two others before he was fatally shot by Secret Service agents. Trump was treated and released Saturday, and he has been at the Republican National Convention this week.

Butler Memorial is a 294-bed hospital that is part of the Independence Health System, a five-hospital system in western Pennsylvania. Trump was taken to Butler Memorial due to its proximity to the rally site in Butler, about 11 miles away, said Tom Chakurda, chief communications and marketing officer for the Independence Health System. Pittsburgh, the nearest big city, is more than 30 miles away.

Like all hospitals, Butler Memorial has plans in place for emergencies, mass casualty events and severe weather. Butler Memorial actually had some plans already in place for a presidential visit. When he was president, Trump held a rally in Butler in 2020, as Pennsylvania is a key state in presidential elections.

When Trump came to Butler four years ago, the hospital had meetings with the Secret Service, and Butler Memorial staff conferred with the Secret Service again for last weekend’s event.

“Those discussions with the Secret Service also transpired in anticipation of this latest rally,” Chakurda said.

“You have your fundamentals in place,” he said. “But again, those are discussed with the Secret Service and again, if there's any nuance or modifications, then certainly those are discussed and coordinated.”

‘Intense focus’

When Trump was transported to Butler Memorial, the hospital worked with local emergency services to have ambulances with other patients diverted to other facilities, Chakurda said.

While Trump was in the hospital, the facility went into “lockdown,” he said.

“There was no egress or ingress to the facility,” he said.

The diversion of ambulances and lockdown of the facility lasted for about three hours, when Trump was released from the facility. The former president flew out of the area and landed in New Jersey about midnight.

Citing federal privacy rules that apply to all patients, Chakurda didn’t discuss the care given to Trump. He said that the hospital had a full complement of staff Saturday and additional clinicians were not called in after the former president arrived.

When Trump arrived at the hospital, the staff demonstrated great professionalism, Chakurda said.

“It's a period of intense focus to do your job and realize that this is what you train for. This is what we prepared for, and this is what people are depending on you to do now. So you have that emotional focus on the task at hand,” he said.

But the gravity of the situation wasn’t lost on anyone.

“There is a sense of, for lack of a better term, remorse,” Chakurda said. “How is this happening? This is a tragedy. And again, this is magnified by the fact that it's happening in our community.”

“So it’s a blend of emotion where there's a job to be done,” he continued. “We need to steel ourselves to that and perform as expected. But in the back of your mind, it's the tragedy of the event, and especially when you know that the people at that event, in addition to the president, could be family, friends. This was our community.”

Butler is a tight-knit community, Chakurda said.

“Everybody knows everybody, in a larger sense,” he said. “So again, it's that blend of pride in what you're doing, dedication to the task at hand, but the remorse you get when a tragedy of this nature occurs, wherever it occurs, but when it occurs in your own backyard, in your own community, I think that makes the emotion more acute.”

• Read more: More hospital leaders, doctors, and nurses are speaking out against gun violence

‘Proud of our response’

Chakurda said staff felt “great relief in the outcome and great satisfaction in the care that was rendered.”

Butler Memorial staff have debriefed after the event to review the hospital’s response, which Chakurda said was standard practice after an emergency.

Still, he acknowledged that the weekend’s events represent “a tremendously unique situation.”

“By definition, healthcare workers are very special,” Chakurda said. “They are dedicated to their jobs, again, 365 days, 24/7, so it's clearly not surprising that we responded in the manner that we did, as we would expect at any other facility. It's a tight-knit profession, and the people that go into it know the demands, and they're special for knowing that and heeding the call, if you will.

“So I just think it's a reflection not only on Butler Memorial Hospital and Independence Health System, but what healthcare does every day,” he continued. “We're all too familiar, there are incidents occurring daily across this country where hospitals have to respond to situations that are beyond the pale. So again, we are exceedingly proud of our response and our clinicians, our support staff, everyone that was involved. But we are not surprised.”

David Dutch, 57, left, and James Copenhaver, 74, were injured by gunfire at Donald Trump's rally in Butler. They are being treated at Allegheny General Hospital.

The other victims

Butler Memorial staff are mourning the loss of Corey Comperatore, the retired fire chief in western Pennsylvania who was killed at the rally, Chakurda said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Comperatore shielded his wife and daughter when the shooter opened fire at the rally. Many area residents gathered for a vigil in his memory Wednesday, KDKA-TV reported.

The two others wounded at the rally suffered serious injuries. Pennsylvania State Police identified the other two victims as David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pa., and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pa.

Dutch and Copenhaver are being treated at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Dutch’s family issued a statement through the hospital Wednesday.

“David and our entire family are especially grateful to all the first responders and medical professionals who saved his life, including the Life Flight and trauma surgical teams at AGH. As we focus on David's recovery, we also offer our deepest condolences and prayers for the other victims of this tragic event and their families,” the family said.

Dutch is in serious but stable condition, according to the release.

Copenhaver is in critical but stable condition, Allegheny General said in a release. Copenhaver’s family said he suffered “life-altering injuries” in the release.

“The Copenhaver family would like to thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers, and support as Jim and his family recover from this horrible, senseless, and unnecessary act of violence,” the release stated.