Trauma Center Marks 5th Anniversary of Full State Designation

Five years ago, Sarasota Memorial received long-awaited word from the Florida Department of Health that it had successfully completed the application process to become a Level II Trauma Center.

In May, 2015, Sarasota Memorial had received provisional approval from the state to open the new program. To earn the full seven-year designation in July, 2016, SMH had to demonstrate compliance with rigorous trauma standards and undergo an extensive site visit.

It remains the only Trauma Center in Sarasota County, and helps ensure that severely injured residents from our area can be transported to SMH rather than a trauma center in another community.

SMH Trauma Center Facts & Figures:

• From May, 2015 through April, 2021, the center has seen a total of 21,799 injured patients.

Falls are by far the most common injury treated by SMH’s Trauma team.

• The Trauma Center’s mortality rate of 1.7 (for the fourth quarter of 2020) is well below the national benchmark rate of 4.31 percent.

• The team includes seven surgeons and 23 employees (16 are advanced practice professionals).

• The Trauma Center has two primary trauma bays, as well as six additional overflow bays that can be used for high patient volumes or mass casualty incidents.

• Trauma team members have presented at numerous national conferences and have led the way in education and advocacy. Highlights include:

In 2017, Trauma Program Advanced Practice Coordinator Leeann Putney and Trauma Services Manager Jennifer Sweeney won a “Best Scientific Poster” award from the Society of Trauma Nurses for their poster describing an initiative to improve antibiotic administration for open fractures.
In 2018, Jennifer had an article published in the Journal of Trauma Nursing on “Impacting Delirium in the Trauma ICU Utilizing the ICU Liberation Collaborative Benchmark Report.” This past year, she represented Florida in the Trauma Center Association of America’s Congressional advocacy initiatives.

In 2019, Trauma Surgeon Alan Brockhurst, MD, was invited to speak about the care of elderly blunt trauma patients at the national Trauma Quality Conference, due to SMH’s outstanding outcomes in this patient population.

Numerous outreach and injury prevention programs led by staff have helped community members stay safe and learn lifesaving skills. In one instance, an individual who attended an SMH “Stop the Bleed” class was injured by a ricocheting bullet soon afterward and was able to successfully apply a tourniquet, thanks to the course.

Happy anniversary and many thanks to the team for their great work!