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MILWAUKEE—By Tuesday evening four men, burned when a silo at We Energies’ Oak Creek power plant erupted in a fiery explosion, were being treated at Columbia Saint Mary’s Hospital on Milwaukee’s Eastside. They were brought to the facility because of its state-of-the-art emergency room and burn unit. “We make room for patients. We bring physicians with required expertise down to the emergency department,” said Columbia Saint Mary’s Dr. Howard Croft explaining his hospital’s ability to act quickly. “It’s basically a whole hospital effort." The most seriously injured of the victims was a 22-year-old man who endured burns over a significant percentage of his body. He was originally transported to Froedtert Hospital before being flown to Columbia Saint Mary’s. Overall, however, the doctors at Columbia Saint Mary’s were relieved by the limited scope and severity of the injuries they encountered. “The ER had things set up for much more serious injuries than we encountered,” said Dr. Tom Schneider. “So we can say we were over-prepared. I don’t think we were over-taxed at all.” If Columbia Saint Mary’s was more than ready for Tuesday’s explosion, it is because of systems in place at the top-flight medical facility. “We realize when we get these calls we may need to make room for several patients,” said Croft. “We start doing that well before the patients arrive.” All of the burn victims will be closely monitored in the days and weeks ahead with particular attention to be paid to their breathing. Breathing problems are a common complication endured by burn patients.