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Rest assured she was at the hospital within 30 mnutes. The Rescue Squad is less than 1/4 mile from where she was shot and it would be a 10 minute trip by ambulance to the local hospital (Mary Washington). The hospital has just finished an upgrade of their capabilities and they have some pretty sharp ER docs. I know, I have been there after strokes and heart attacks!

Agreed. My husband is from Virginia and the rescue squads (many of them private volunteer and funded by the community) are the absolute tops. His mom is active in supporting their local rescue squad, and nothing is too good for those guys . . . they do good work. :-D

If she lives, this case will be great testimony to the absolute and unequivocal need for all American citizens to be within thirty minutes of any trauma capable ER. The national infrastructure in trauma response is lagging at a time of war. The Administration needs to integrate trauma response under Homeland Security. The failure of the Democratic Party to consider the Homeland Security Bill in the US Senate has put our citizens at risk. Tommy Thompson and Tom Ridge should direct staff to do a national response plan to mass casulties. This civilian response plan should not be dependent on the US military resources (because those resources should not be diverted from support of combat operations, though could be used as a backup for less acute needs). In order to save lives, individuals must reach definitive care within 30 minutes of injury. This permits the life of the individual to be saved within the "golden hour".

The Democratic Party's push to socialize healthcare has undermined the national security. HMO profiteering has caused a decrease in health care capacity. Hospitals have not received adequate funding to develop full-services in most communities of less than 100,000 people. Yet, these communities often have substantial governmental or military related activities (just look at ANY community surrounding ANY military base).

The Democrats need to get out of the way in the US Senate. If Senator Byrd's perseverations are beginning to border on "outrageous" because it is "wrong" to slow deliberations on the safety of the citizenry.