More than 3,000 people turned out for the Delaware Running Festival at Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park on April 28. Athletes from near and far — including marathoners who came to check off Delaware from their 50-state bucket list, and many more who came to see the beautiful sights along the trail — participated with confidence that excellent medical care was there for them if they needed it.
As the official medical team of the Delaware Running Festival, 36 Christiana Care volunteers staffed the Festival’s medical tent and coordinated medical response plans with a host of agencies, including New Castle County Emergency Medical Services and Wilmington Fire Department.
Medical co-coordinators Brian Wharton, MSN, RNIII, CPEN, CPST, emergency pediatric coordinator at Christiana Care, and Clinical Nurse Specialist Heather Panichelli, AGCNS-BC, MSN, CEN, CPEN, led the volunteer team which included clerks, nurses, patient care techs, three physicians and one medical resident. The team, staffing the festival from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., treated 26 patients.
Christiana Care caregivers also got their run on with four half marathoners and a team relay group.