Mobile Trauma Unit Supports 2008 Papal Visit

MTU members at the United Nations on April 18, 2008.


Members of the MTU transporting medical gear next to the Popemobile at Ground Zero during the papal visit.


The MTU transports its mobile operating room between locations.

Chief of Acute Care Surgery, Maurizio Miglietta, DO, and his mobile trauma unit (MTU) had papal duty this year, traveling with Benedict XVI throughout his visit to the city April 18-21. Dr. Miglietta is well known in the U.S. national law enforcement community, which frequently summons him to cover dignitaries at New York City-based events. In addition to the papal visit, the MTU has supported three United Nations General Assembly anniversary events, the Clinton Global Initiative in 2006 and 2007, annual Presidential Galas at the Waldorf, and several First Lady Events.

For the pope's visit, the unit, which transports its equipment in rolling suitcases and backpacks, set up a mobile operating room at each location the pope visited. "At every place, including at the pope's residence, our team had to be available within 20 feet of the pope in the event of any surgical emergency," says Dr. Miglietta. The team consisted of two surgeons (Dr. Miglietta and Matthew Bacchetta, MD), a surgical anesthesiologist (Eric Wilkins, MD), an emergency medicine physician (Mario Miglietta, MD), and four paramedics, two of whom were also nurses. Dr. Miglietta says that although the MTU was near the pope at all times, his team did not interact with the pontiff directly, "there was always a crowd around him, trying to get pictures with him," so we preferred to just hang back and do our job," he says.

Dr. Miglietta says the most memorable moments for him were at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, where disabled and mentally disabled children were in attendance. "Before going on stage, the pope took 10 minutes to bless the children. He put his hand on each of their heads. It was moving to see the mothers' reactions—faces filled with joy, eyes tear-filled," he says. He was also struck by a scene he witnessed when the crowd was leaving the facility and a Secret Service agent stopped his vehicle, got out and handed a secret service pin to a disabled boy. "There were so many moving moments surrounding the event."

Even though the MTU is often the first call for many U.S. offices of state, it must rely on foundation grants to support its operations. To learn more, please call the Division of Acute Care Surgery at 212.342.1734.