1. Georgia’s TeleTrauma Pilot Project Presented by Debra Kitchens, RN, CEN, NREMT-P MCCG Trauma Services Manager

2. Funded The Georgia TeleTrauma Pilot Project…..Thru: The Georgia Rural Health Network Grant Program The Georgia Department of Community Health

3. 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.

4. Studies show that rural trauma patients die twice as often as those in urban areas. Why? Time, distance, and training are the primary culprits.

5. 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.

6. One innovative effort to address this crisis is through TeleTrauma.

7. TeleTrauma Pilot Project Partners: Georgia Partnership for Telehealth Level I Trauma Center The Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon Four Rural Hospitals: Dodge County Hospital, Eastman Fairview Park Hospital, Dublin Peach Regional Medical Center, Fort Valley Taylor Regional Hospital, Hawkinsville

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

9. 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.

12. 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.

15. Project Progress Con’t: PACs system is almost ready to launch. Protocols are heading toward final drafts. The Launch Date is…... SOON!!