In recent decades, trauma care professionals have made significant progress in reducing the burden of injury. But according to Samir Fakhry, MD, chief of the division of general surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), there is one area that needs more attention — the treatment of mental and emotional health after discharge.…
Author: Robert Fojut
How can you make your injury prevention program more effective? Leaders from three Level I trauma centers shared proven strategies for building a strong injury prevention program during a session at the 2016 Annual Conference of the Trauma Center Association of America. The speakers discussed ways to develop funding sources, build public support for IP…
Many trauma program managers and directors are unsure how trauma fits in the new world of value-based care. How do industry leaders and third-party payers define value? What can trauma programs do to increase the value of the care they provide? Quinn McKenna, chief operating officer at University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, addressed these and…
To many trauma leaders, the state of Florida illustrates the challenges of building a strong regional trauma system in an environment of competing interests. Yet according to John H. Armstrong, MD, FACS, the Florida experience shows how trauma stakeholders can work together to find balanced solutions to shared challenges. Dr. Armstrong is the former Florida…
Trauma programs depend on C-suite support for organizational and financial resources. That is why it is so important to understand the goals and priorities of hospital and health system executives. Three health system executives addressed this issue during a panel discussion at the 2016 Annual Conference of the Trauma Center Association of America (TCAA). The executives…
In June, a group of American trauma leaders issued a report that could reshape trauma care in the U.S. Under their proposal, civilian and military trauma providers would collaborate to improve trauma access for both civilians and soldiers while increasing national readiness for mass casualty events. The group’s recommendations are detailed in A National Trauma…
Trauma centers need to maintain a concurrent trauma registry. For ACS-verified centers, that means at least 80% of trauma cases must be entered in the registry within 60 days of patient discharge. In many hospitals, however, the trauma registry is months behind on chart abstraction. Hiring more staff is usually not an option, so how…
How do you run a trauma performance improvement and patient safety (PIPS) program? Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient spells out detailed program requirements, and other resources provide a good theoretical framework for managing the PIPS process. But according to Michael McGonigal, MD, bridging the gap between theory and practice can be…
The Orange Book has been in force for a little over half a year. How are trauma centers doing under the new criteria? Recently, Trauma System News interviewed Ronald M. Stewart, MD, FACS, chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT), and Rosemary Ann Kozar, MD, PhD, FACS, chair of the ACS Verification Review Committee…
Maintaining a full team of trauma physicians is harder than ever. The challenges include physician shortages, increasing service requirements and the growing problem of physician burnout. This free guide shows trauma program leaders how to: Find and evaluate strong trauma surgeon candidates Avoid the “red flags” that signal potential recruiting mistakes Make the case for additional trauma…