County’s only trauma center has treated nearly 50,000 patients since its opening
The Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Level II Trauma Center, “a milestone that reflects a decade of growth, innovation and lifesaving care for patients throughout Sarasota County and the surrounding region,” SMH staff announced this week.
“Since opening in May 2015 and receiving full state designation in July 2016, the SMH trauma team has treated 47,735 injured patients, including 22,871 trauma team activations to address the most critically injured patients transported by emergency medical teams to the nearest trauma center,” a news release points out.
Created to ensure that local residents could receive immediate, specialized trauma care close to home, SMH’s Trauma Center has “established itself as one of the top-performing trauma programs in the nation,” the release adds.
“Ten years ago, Sarasota Memorial made a significant commitment to bring advanced trauma services to our community,” said Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder in the release. “Today, that investment continues to save lives every day. The expertise of our trauma team, combined with their unwavering commitment to patients and families, delivers exceptional outcomes and provides comfort and reassurance to patients and families during some of the most critical moments of their lives,” Verinder noted in the release.
“The Trauma Center’s patient outcomes consistently exceed national benchmarks,” the release says. From May 2015 through May of this year, it continues, “the program maintained an overall mortality rate of 1.9 percent – less than half the national benchmark rate of 4.31 percent. According to the American College of Surgeons’ benchmarking reports, SMH ranks in the top decile nationally for both all-patient mortality and elderly patient mortality,” the release points out.
“The center has expanded significantly since its launch,” the release continues. “In 2015, the trauma program was staffed by five trauma surgeons, five advanced practice professionals and three administrative team members.” Today,” the release says, the team comprises “nine trauma surgeons, 20 advanced practice professionals and 14 administrative staff members supporting around-the-clock trauma care.” Moreover, the release notes, “Approximately 85 percent of the original trauma team members hired in 2015 remain with Sarasota Memorial today.”
“Our success over the past decade is a direct reflection of the people who have dedicated their careers to caring for trauma patients,” said Dr. Christian Schuetz, medical director of trauma and emergency general surgery at SMH-Sarasota, in the release. “From the physicians and nurses to our critical care and rehabilitation specialists and support staff, every member of the team plays a critical role in helping patients survive devastating injuries and recover as fully as possible,” Schuetz added.
“As patient volumes increased,” the release further notes, “Sarasota Memorial expanded its trauma infrastructure to meet growing community needs. The Trauma Center includes two dedicated trauma bays and six additional overflow bays that can be activated during periods of high patient volume or mass casualty incidents. Over the past decade, the health system also updated its 10-bed Trauma Intensive Care Unit and added a 10-bed overflow ICU, expanded trauma-focused inpatient units, expanded imaging and operating room capacity, and enhanced post-discharge services through a dedicated Trauma Clinic, Wound Care Clinic.”
The release adds, “Since 2015, SMH also opened and expanded its state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Pavilion, further optimizing the recovery process for trauma patients.
“Today,” the release points out, “Sarasota Memorial remains the region’s only designated trauma center, providing immediate access to highly specialized care for patients suffering life-threatening injuries from motor vehicle and e-bike/scooter crashes” and falls, as well as those suffering “penetrating injuries and other traumatic accidents.”
The release also notes, “In May, Sarasota Memorial celebrated National Trauma Survivors Day, bringing together trauma survivors and the physicians, nurses and caregivers who helped save their lives. During the event, survivors shared stories of resilience and gratitude, including Naomi Orozco, who was thrilled to reunite with the medical professionals who cared for her after a life-threatening injury.”
“They saw a light in me I couldn’t even see in myself,” she shared in the release.