Region’s Level 1 Trauma Center Receives High Marks from State Trauma Review

Experts cite “a well-organized trauma service that is patient centered”

After a peer-reviewed study in a national publication found the regional Level 1 Trauma Center at Johnson City Medical Center has “saved more lives,” a state survey team of trauma experts and physicians has recommended the trauma center receive a full certification from the State of Tennessee.

The survey team cited numerous accomplishments and strengths in its report.

“Johnson City Medical Center has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to care for the injured patient,” said the survey team in its report to the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission. “The administrative support and leadership are also exceptional. It is obvious the trauma center is represented and supported at the highest level.”

More than a dozen strengths and accomplishments were cited in the report, including:

• Strong regional trauma system involvement for the entire region by the trauma center and its personnel
• Increased surgical ICU capacity
• Increases in the number of trauma attending physicians
• A fully fellowship-trained orthopedic trauma team
• Expansion of neurosurgical coverage
• Expanded number of advance practice providers to support the physicians
• Strong ancillary support for trauma, including access to diagnostics and other support services
• Strong physician and administrative leadership
• Participation in the Trauma Quality Improvement Program
• Zero deficiencies in the availability of surgical specialties, citing “strong support from the surgical specialties”
• Zero deficiencies in non-surgical specialties, citing “24/7 coverage” and “adequate support for floor and ICU trauma patients”
• Zero deficiencies in post-anesthesia recovery services
• Efficient patient flow of trauma patients through the emergency department
• Well-organized flow of patients from the emergency department to the ICU and a designated ICU team to manage the patients
• Diagnostic radiology services “readily available and efficient for the trauma patient”
• “Always available” trauma operating room, including a process for “surges”
• A focus on trauma research, with several publications
• A multi-disciplinary trauma team, which has led to improved trauma care

“The partnership between ETSU Health and Ballad Health in the operation of the regional trauma system has led to better care for patients,” said Dr. Bracken Burns, the medical director of the Level 1 Trauma Center. “Each day, we give our patients the best possible trauma care, and this validation of our work is important to our team.”

“Our top priority is to make sure Johnson City Medical Center can provide the highest level of care for our region,” said Kenny Shafer, chief executive officer of Johnson City Medical Center. “Johnson City Medical Center accepts patients from throughout the region with the most severe injuries and complications, and our team of clinicians and team members partner every day to make sure we are supporting all the hospitals, physicians and emergency medical services throughout the region for the patients who have the most severe challenges. The results are compelling, with more lives saved.”

“Creating an integrated regional trauma system focused on patient-centered care has always been the objective for Ballad Health,” said Ballad Health Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Levine. “The observations of the independent state survey team, combined with the results of a nationally published study that demonstrated improved patient outcomes, are validation of the hard work done by EMS teams throughout the region, our trauma physicians and clinical staff and all those who support them. The ultimate beneficiary of all this work is the patient who faces life-threatening injury.”

The survey report contains detailed recommendations for continued improvement, and it provides a recommendation to the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission for recertification of the trauma program. There were zero deficiencies cited by the state, which is the third consecutive survey where the state cited zero deficiencies for the region’s Level 1 Trauma Center.

“We find this survey process to be extremely useful in both validating the processes we have put in place to consistently deliver high-quality care, while also giving us feedback on how we can constantly improve,” Dr. Burns added. “The qualifications of the survey team – physicians who lead other trauma programs – are exceptional, and we are pleased they find our quality of care to be as good as any other high-quality trauma program in Tennessee.”

More information about the Ballad Health Trauma Network is available at www.balladhealth.org. Please click the hyperlinks to see the official report and letter.