Georgia’s

TeleTrauma

Pilot ProjectPresented by

Debra Kitchens, RN, CEN, NREMT-P MCCG Trauma Services Manager

• Funded• The Georgia TeleTrauma Pilot

Project…..Thru:• The Georgia Rural Health Network

Grant Program

The Georgia Department of

Community Health

Georgia is experiencing a crisis in the capacity of the

state’s trauma system to care for

those who are seriously injured

throughout the state.

Studies show that rural trauma patients die twice as often as those in urban

areas.

Why?

Time, distance, and training are the primary

culprits.

It is often said that trauma victims have the best chance of survival if the right resources and expert intervention is

applied within the “golden hour,” the first hour after the injury.

Unfortunately, in rural areas, resources and experts can be scarce, forcing

smaller emergency departments to waste critical time transporting patients to the

nearest city with a trauma center.

One innovative effort to address this crisis is through TeleTrauma.

TeleTrauma Pilot Project Partners:

Georgia Partnership for Telehealth

Level I Trauma CenterThe Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon

Four Rural Hospitals:

Dodge County Hospital, EastmanFairview Park Hospital, DublinPeach Regional Medical Center, Fort

ValleyTaylor Regional Hospital, Hawkinsville

The TeleTrauma program will enable rural emergency room physicians & trauma patients access to a team of surgeons and specialists at MCCG.

The hope is that the end result will be that innovative and cutting edge technologies were used to save lives, increase efficiency, and improve the level of care provided to Georgians in trauma situations.

Project Progress:

Network & Equipment is installed, tested, & ready.

Credentialing is complete for 3 of the 4 sites.

Training & In-Service Education is on-going.

Trauma Surgeons & rural ED staff have met via TeleConference.

Project Progress Con’t:

PACs system is almost ready to launch.

Protocols are heading toward final drafts.

The Launch Date is…...

SOON!!