Dr. Frank Ercoli, trauma center director for Desert Regional Medical Center since it opened in 1993, has died.
Hospital CEO Michele Finney said in a statement that she was "devastated" to learn of his passing, saying he was "a beloved and respected member of the medical staff."
"Dr. Ercoli epitomized the spirit of community and volunteerism and was loved deeply by the members of our community," she said. "His philanthropic legacy will be felt in our community for years to come."
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In memory of Ercoli, the flags at Desert Regional Medical Center will be flown at half-staff, and Stergios Tower lights will be lighted in blue on Tuesday night.
"Dr. Ercoli will be missed by all who knew him," Finney said. "May his soul rest in peace.”
Desert Regional Medical Center did not provide Ercoli's cause of death.
Ercoli spent years caring for those in the Coachella Valley who were rushed through the doors of Desert Regional Medical Center.
Ercoli was one of the trauma surgeons at Desert Regional that responded to the historic and devastating bus crash in 1991 that included nearly 100 Girl Scouts traveling through the desert. The bus driver and six passengers were killed on July 31, 1991. Another 47 passengers were injured. Ercoli was there to care for the injured.
In a prior interview with The Desert Sun, Ercoli said he continued to remember that day like "it was yesterday."
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"It’s one of those occasions in your life that stays with you and you remember. ... I was in the trauma intensive care unit at the time doing my usual afternoon rounds.
"The medical staff, the hospital, the emergency department, the administration all went in disaster mode, callback calls went out, medical staff and crew reported to the hospital in addition to those who were already here. We set staging areas outside of the emergency department, we sent a go-team to the scene to assist in the triage and determination of the condition of the patients. With the response from police, fire and medics from around the community, various transportation agencies … we coordinated things and within about 20 minutes here at Desert Regional Medical Center, we received I believe 23 or 24 of the sickest patients ... both by ground and by air."
It took the Desert Regional team about five hours to sort through all of the injuries to people who arrived that day, and everyone throughout the hospital pitched in to help.
"It was a valiant effort," Ercoli said. "We had gardeners and landscapers and construction and maintenance crews from the hospital unloading the helicopters, transporting the patients."
While devastation struck the lives of many of the girls and chaperones that day, how the hospital and community responded was remarkable, he said.
"You can have all the policies and the protocols, and you can plan and you can prepare for all these types of events. You can’t ever, ever prepare for the human response and that’s what I learned that day. I think that’s probably what gives me the highest level of confidence … is knowing that regardless of the type of event or the size of the event, people just step up and do the right thing. I think extraordinary circumstances bring out the extraordinary things in people ... It restores your faith in humanity."
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Dr. Ercoli was also part of the team that tried to save the lives of Palm Springs Police Officers Jose Vega and Lesley Zerebny after John Hernandez Felix used an AR-15 to fire 21 rounds at Palm Springs police officers who had arrived at his house around noon on Oct. 8, 2016, in response to a domestic dispute, according to NBC Palm Springs.
Felix refused to exit the home the officers attempted to open the metal security door — that’s when shots erupted, according to prior Desert Sun coverage of the murder trial.
"Shots fired," was said repeatedly in a frantic tone over the police radio. "Officer down."
Felix was charged for the 2016 murders of both officers, and the attempted murders of six other police officers dispatched to the scene of the shooting, and firearms charges.
Dr. Ercoli said despite trying everything to save them, it was too late, “We were not able to save Officer Vega,” he said adding Officer Zerebny’s injuries were too severe and she bled out. “Her heart was empty … she had bled to death," according to the NBC report.
Palm Springs Officer Dave Etchason dragged Zerebny's body to his police car and put her in the trunk, according to Etchason's testimony during the trial. He hoped there was still a chance to get Zerebny medical attention, but it was too late. One of the bullets had penetrated her protective vest and caused fatal injuries to her vital organs.
Vega was also evacuated while the shooter was still barricaded in the house, but died of a gunshot wound that punctured his lung soon after.
Desert Sun reporter Nicole Hayden covers health in the Coachella Valley. She can be reached at Nicole.Hayden@desertsun.com or (760) 778-4623. Follow her on Twitter @Nicole_A_Hayden.
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Desert Regional Medical Center trauma center director dies - Desert Sun
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