Healthcare Governance

Healthcare Governance

Author

Institutional Affiliations

Author’s Note

Healthcare Governance

In a healthcare system, the terms emergency room and trauma center are often interchangeably used. It is therefore, important to understand the difference between these terms in order to receive appropriate medical care. Emergency rooms provide assistance in case of any medical emergency. They have necessary facilities, equipment, specialists and care providers that can handle all kinds of conditions. Trauma centers, on the other hand, are primarily situated inside emergency rooms. They handle the extreme and intense medical cases that involve the matter of immediate survival. They have highly advanced equipment and specialized surgeons to increase the probability of patient survival ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Ol1BoX7O","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(UnityPoint Health, 2015)","plainCitation":"(UnityPoint Health, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":618,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/GN8JZT3S"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/GN8JZT3S"],"itemData":{"id":618,"type":"webpage","title":"ER vs. Trauma Center: What's the Difference? (Infographic)","container-title":"Live Well with UnityPoint Health","URL":"https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=cafe17aa-df46-410c-9b6d-7855bf760f83","author":[{"family":"UnityPoint Health","given":""}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015",1,9]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",11,10]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (UnityPoint Health, 2015). Trauma centers are verified or designated by the state or local government authorities or can even be verified by the American College of Surgeons ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"zIsMHJn2","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(TCAA, n.d.)","plainCitation":"(TCAA, n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":620,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/45EZC7L4"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/45EZC7L4"],"itemData":{"id":620,"type":"webpage","title":"Trauma Center Levels Defined","container-title":"Trauma Center Association of America (TCAA)","URL":"https://www.traumacenters.org/page/TraumaCentersLevels","author":[{"family":"TCAA","given":""}],"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",11,10]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (TCAA, n.d.). The health facilities in Alabama are licensed and regulated by the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Requirements for Level I, II and III Trauma centers defined by American college of surgeons are as follows ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"X4GB0voo","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(American Trauma Society, n.d.)","plainCitation":"(American Trauma Society, n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":622,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/Q3AQ3DDS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/Q3AQ3DDS"],"itemData":{"id":622,"type":"webpage","title":"Trauma Center Levels Explained","container-title":"American Trauma Society","URL":"https://www.amtrauma.org/page/traumalevels","author":[{"family":"American Trauma Society","given":""}],"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",11,10]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (American Trauma Society, n.d.);

Level I

24/7 in-house availability of general surgeons; orthopedic, neurosurgeon, anesthesiologist, radiologist, pediatrician, internal and emergency medicine, plastic surgeon, oral and maxillofacial surgeons and critical care

Substance abuse programs for screening and intervention

Incorporation of comprehensive quality assessment program

Provision of continuing education for trauma team members

Level II

24/7 immediate availability of general surgeons; orthopedic, neurosurgeon, anesthesiologist, radiologist, emergency medicine and critical care

Availability of tertiary care such as cardiac, hemodialysis and microvascular surgeries may be referred to level I

Provision of trauma prevention training and continuing education for trauma team members

Incorporation of comprehensive quality assessment program

Level III

24/7 immediate availability of emergency medicine physician and quick accessibility of general surgeons and anesthesiologists

Incorporation of comprehensive quality assessment program

Transfer agreement for referring patients to Level I or Level II for comprehensive care

Provision of back up care for rural and community hospitals

Delivery of continued education of the trauma staff

Active outreach program and prevention programs

The number of Trauma centers in the state of Alabama are as follows ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aYdpgpP4","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(ADPH, 2019)","plainCitation":"(ADPH, 2019)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":624,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/LVQQINVV"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/OnfrXiA2/items/LVQQINVV"],"itemData":{"id":624,"type":"webpage","title":"Trauma Centers","container-title":"Alabama Department of Public Health","URL":"https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/aths/trauma-centers.html","author":[{"family":"ADPH","given":""}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019",2,14]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",11,10]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (ADPH, 2019);

Level I: 5

Level II: 3

Level III: 49

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY ADPH. (2019, February 14). Trauma Centers. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from Alabama Department of Public Health website: https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/aths/trauma-centers.html

American Trauma Society. (n.d.). Trauma Center Levels Explained. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from American Trauma Society website: https://www.amtrauma.org/page/traumalevels

TCAA. (n.d.). Trauma Center Levels Defined. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from Trauma Center Association of America (TCAA) website: https://www.traumacenters.org/page/TraumaCentersLevels

UnityPoint Health. (2015, January 9). ER vs. Trauma Center: What’s the Difference? (Infographic). Retrieved November 10, 2019, from Live Well with UnityPoint Health website: https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=cafe17aa-df46-410c-9b6d-7855bf760f83