Community and rural trauma centers in the U.S. face significant challenges in quality management, nurse staffing, standards compliance, physician coverage and program funding, according to a recent survey by Trauma System News. The survey was conducted in May 2024, and it was sent to trauma program staff who work in trauma centers with a Level…
Author: Robert Fojut
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has notified Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, that it is no longer verified as a Level II trauma center. The decision was the outcome of an in-person reverification site visit in which the hospital was found to be non-compliant with five standards in Resources for Optimal Care of…
Providing timely care to injured patients in Montana is a tremendous challenge. As in many rural areas worldwide, distances are vast and resources are scattered. This creates significant problems for patients who need both rapid transport to a higher level of care and immediate access to blood products. Alyssa Johnson, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, helped…
Does your trauma center use video review to assess and improve team performance? Trauma System News recently spoke with Ryan Dumas, MD, about the benefits of trauma video review, how it can support trauma PI and patient safety, and how to successfully implement a trauma video review program. Dr. Dumas is an associate professor of…
Concurrent review of nonsurgical admissions (NSAs) allows trauma program staff to identify opportunities to optimize care while the patient is still in the hospital. However, many trauma centers struggle to operationalize concurrent inpatient review. According to Ginger Knapp, MSN, RN, CEN, one key to solving this challenge is to leverage the trauma registry to organize…
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recently released the second update of Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient: 2022 Standards. The new December 2023 revision of the resources manual tightens up one requirement, relaxes a few others and makes a number of important clarifications. To download the latest version of the ACS trauma…
Supply management is not just a cost issue. In trauma care, poorly managed supply stocks can slow down resuscitations and increase the risk of supply-related errors. At IU Health Methodist Hospital, a Level I trauma center in Indianapolis, trauma program leaders used techniques from Lean methodology to streamline trauma supply carts, reduce supply costs and…
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, has lost its Level II trauma center verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). An ACS spokesman confirmed the change in verification status on December 7, according to a report in the Idaho Statesman. During the hospital’s recent reverification survey, ACS reviewers identified “four findings that…
The principles of trauma performance improvement (PI) are well understood, but many trauma programs struggle with developing effective PI processes. One of the biggest challenges is achieving consistency in PI documentation and review. Trauma leaders at UCHealth in Colorado addressed this problem by creating a trauma PI dictionary that standardizes the entire performance improvement process…
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) requires trauma centers to provide a brief intervention to patients who have screened positive for alcohol misuse. However, many programs find it difficult to build a truly effective Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) process. Trauma leaders at Franciscan Health Crown Point in Crown Point, Indiana, tackled…