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    Published on June 27, 2025

    OH Event Med Team Ready for ROMP

    owensboro health tent outside

    By the Messenger-Inquirer

    Officials with Owensboro Health Regional Hospital and the annual ROMP Fest said Thursday that resources are in place to help people overcome by the heat at Yellow Creek Park.

    The National Weather Service in Paducah has issued a heat advisory until 7 p.m. Friday evening, with heat indexes around 105 degrees through the advisory period.

    Rhonda Bergstrom, emergency room director at Owensboro Health and creator of the hospital’s event medicine program, said Thursday morning that the OH medical staff at the park had already treated a person affected by the broiling heat.

    “At seven o’clock this morning the first person was transported out for overheating,” she said.

    Erin Rouse, marketing manager for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said festival planners “have been watching the weather for several weeks” and have put measures in place.

    “We have full-time EMTs here for any emergency,” Rouse said.

    The festival has shade tents for visitors in places and said team members from Owensboro Health were going through the crowd with misting fans.

    ROMP officials also receive weather information from the National Weather Service, which is on-site at the park.

    Messages regarding the weather are displayed over video screens near the stage, Rouse said.

    “We have plenty of ice and water available, she said, “and we communicate it from the stage.

    “Ever since we let people into the park (Wednesday) we’ve had our medical staff ready.”

    Bergstrom, who has a masters in science in nursing, said the event team works outdoor festivals throughout the spring and summer and into the fall, such as the Owensboro Air Show. The team was created with financing by the Owensboro Health Foundation.

    Bergstrom said event teams can be found in other metro areas, and she got the idea for a team here while visiting a PorchFest a few years ago and noticing Owensboro Health didn’t have a presence there.

    “We needed ... our stamp on all these community events, to provide that care for the community,” Bergstrom said.

    At ROMP, the team is providing first aid and basic medical care, Bergstrom said. If a person needs more treatment, the team will stabilize the patient until they can be transported by ambulance to the hospital, she said.

    “The goal of the team is to provide care without the person having to leave the event and go somewhere else,” Bergstrom said.

    The team is made up of medical professionals from Owensboro Health and other agencies.

    “We always have a team we think will be able to cover the size of the event,” Bergstrom said.

    Given the forecast, the team did prepare for ROMP with extensive heat in mind, Bergstrom said.

    “We want to make certain we are prepared for whatever emergency may happen,” she said. “We have extra ice packs. We have extra water ... We have a gallon of sunscreen out here.”

    The National Weather Service recommends people drink plenty of fluids, wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing outside, to not do any strenuous activity outdoors and to keep out of the sun during the heat advisory.

    Rouse said festival staff remind people to be cautious in the extreme heat.

    “We encourage people to take breaks if they need it — don’t power through if you need a break,” Rouse said.

    About Owensboro Health

    Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; four outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

    On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.