Who Isn't Involved in Trauma Care at a Trauma Center?

If you were asked to create a list of all the departments involved in trauma care at a Level I or Level II trauma center, it might actually be easier to make a list of the departments not involved. Trauma care is multidisciplinary, and while some departments (like oncology or OB/GYN) are not involved frequently, it takes a comprehensive commitment across the hospital to deliver trauma care.

Surgical and Medical Specialties in a Trauma Center

Let's start with the surgeons. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) requires 11 surgical specialties at Level I and Level II facilities. They include:

• Trauma (general) surgery

• Neurosurgery

• Orthopedic surgery

• Cardiothoracic surgery

• Hand surgery

• Obstetrics/gynecology

• Ophthalmology

• Otolaryngology

• Plastic surgery

• Urology

• Vascular surgery

There are also 6 required medical specialties:

• Cardiology

• Gastroenterology

• Infectious disease

• Intensivists / critical care

• Nephrology

• Pulmonary medicine

  
  

Finally, you also need physician from what can only be defined as "other" specialties (not to negate their importance!):

• Emergency medicine

• Anesthesiology

• Radiology

• Physiatry

• Psychiatry

Nurses and Ancillary Staff in a Trauma Center

After the physicians, you have NURSES. The list of nursing roles is too comprehensive to name, but the nurse practitioners, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, clinical nurse specialists, and others are the backbone of the hospital.

You have the staff in the trauma program - the trauma program manager, performance improvement (PI) coordinators, injury prevention specialists, outreach coordinators, and registrars.

Finally, I dare you to name a department not involved in caring for the trauma patient. Environmental services makes sure the rooms are clean. Therapists (physical, occupational, speech, respiratory, nutrition) help get patients on the road to recovery. Phlebotomists, radiology technicians, lab technicians, and others get tests conducted and results delivered. Security keeps people safe. Social work and case management plan for discharge. Chaplains tend to spiritual needs. Pharmacists recommend and reconcile medications to prevent adverse interactions. Staff who work in registration, billing, the transfer center, Information Technology, Health Information Management (HIM), human resources, finance, quality, public relations, translation services, scheduling, front desk, central supply, central sterile processing... they are all there, too.

Trauma is a Team Sport

Trauma is a team sport, and being a trauma center is a hospital-wide commitment. Every staff member - even those not directly involved in patient care - have an important role to play.