Ambulances, Doctors and Pfizer, Oh My!

Wednesday was our third class in the Leadership Ann Arbor course. This month we had Health Care Day, an opportunity to visit several of the organizations associated with the field of keeping us upright and ambulatory (and I don't mean the ones with the flashing lights and sirens!). As usual it was a full and enlightening day -- so much so that it would take me forever (and bore you to tears) were I to relate it blow by blow. What follows (in no particular order) is my list of impressions from the day. I've included the location where I learned this tidbit in parens.

• On average it takes $880 million dollars, 12 to 15 years and testing 5000 to 7000 compounds to bring a drug to market. (our host, DJ Boehm at Pfizer)
• Using an Automated Emergency Defibrillator (AED) is actually pretty easy. Just remember to step away from the patient when the machine tells you to. (Huron Valley Ambulance)
  
• The University of Michigan Hospital is the size of a small city. Supposedly the Wendy's in the cafeteria is the busiest one in the entire state. (U of M Hospital)
  
• According to Justin Giersdorf (one of the hosting EMTs) up to 50% of all of ambulance calls are diabetic related. (HVA)
• I'm just a pound or two shy of being officially obese. (Pfizer)
• Michael Marsh of the Clinical Simulation Center has a lot of really cool toys -- even "patients" who breathe, have a pulse, and have eyes with pupil which react to light. (U of M Hospital)
  
• Soda (pop, coke, etc) is really bad for you, unless you like osteoporosis, periodontal disease, and obesity. (Pfizer, at lunch)
• An AED puts out up to 300 joules of electricity -- enough to light a high school football stadium. (HVA)
• U of M Hospital runs at 97% of capacity on average. Everybody wants to come here! (UMH)
• Prevention is way better than cure. (all)

Of course, there was so much more, but that gives you a bit of a feel for what we learned. Of course, it was also great to chat with all of the friends that I've come to know through Leadership (one of whom, Jim Anderson of AJ Boggs & Company, has actually passed along some work to me -- my first since I went full-time on my business!). If you'd like to know more, ask me the next time you see me!

So, what surprising facts have you learned recently?