LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Dr. Matt Bozeman, head of the UofL Health Burn Unit, said his team mobilized every available resource as soon as they received the call on the evening of Nov. 4 about the UPS MD-11 cargo jet crash that ultimately killed 14 people.
Bozeman said the day shift was preparing to leave when the hospital learned about the air disaster. Twelve nurses were already on duty, but the number grew quickly.
People who weren’t scheduled to work still reported in, filling the emergency room with staff ready to help. Bozeman said his team regularly trains for large-scale emergencies and had recently completed a mass-casualty drill at the airport.
The UofL Hospital burn unit is the region’s only specialized facility. Three burn victims were taken there for treatment. One of them, 37-year-old Matthew Sweets, died two days later. His obituary encourages donations to UofL to support ongoing research and care.
Kelly Thomas, the Burn Unit’s nursing director, said it was an honor to support Sweets’ family during such a tragic time.
Since the crash, hospital psychologists have checked in with staff involved in the response, urging them to talk about their experiences and seek help as needed.
The crash of UPS Flight 2976 was difficult, but the hospital has managed other major mass-casualty incidents as well. Those include the April 2023 Old National Bank shooting, which killed five people and injured several others. Many of the victims were treated at UofL Hospital.
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