Dr. Steven McCarthy Talks About Treating The Injured At St. Vincent's Hospital

Dr. Steven McCarthy was on duty at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan when US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River yesterday. As the hospital's Director of Emergency Medical Services, McCarthy was simply working on charts in his office when he suddenly became inundated with calls regarding the crash.

"We didn't know what to expect," said McCarthy, rehashing that he and his staff only knew that there were about 150 to 200 people aboard the plane that plummeted into the Hudson River. They expected the arrival of a slew of victims, suffering both from hypothermia and trauma. The hospital quickly went into crisis mode and all help involved breathed "a sigh of relief" when merely seven passengers with mild hypothermia came through the hospital doors to be treated. McCarthy observed nothing too serious--merely mild "bumps and bruises."

However, McCarthy does warn against the mental strain the incident will have on many of the victims: "People will need counseling down the line..We can't ignore the mental health aspects of it." The mental health staff at St. Vincent's Hospital has and will continue to treat those who have been traumatized by the accident.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW AFTER THE JUMP...