On May 10, 1999, Altoona Hospital’s Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to proceed with the development of a trauma center at the hospital. According to a study by an outside consulting firm, this region desperately needed that type of medical service. Patients in our region had the longest transportation times to an accredited trauma center in the state of Pennsylvania.
Altoona Hospital’s Regional Trauma Center was established in July 2001, the center received its first site survey by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation. After that survey, a one year provisional trauma center accreditation was granted. During that first year, trauma services provided quality care to more than 1,000 trauma patients from this area.
The creation of the trauma center provides the surrounding 14 counties with a valuable service by decreasing the time for patients to obtain lifesaving services.
A second survey was conducted in June of this year and on Oct. 1, Altoona Hospital’s Regional Trauma Center was accredited completely for a full year period by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, which confirmed the provided excellence in trauma care by Altoona Hospital.
The Altoona Hospital Regional Trauma Center is one of only 26 fully accredited trauma centers in Pennsylvania. This trauma center is an integral component of the emergency medical services system that manages patient care from the time of injury to treatment at a local hospital and/or trauma center and through the rehabilitative phase.
Altoona Hospital’s trauma surgeons are supported by the hospital’s experienced general surgeons, emergency medicine physicians and many other trauma professionals. The team of Simon Lampard, MD, FACS; Thomas L. Bass, MD; R. Scott Magley, MD, FACEP, MMM; and countless others, works together to deliver more help and more hope to trauma patients and families.
The celebration held Wednesday acknowledged the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation’s reaccreditation of the Altoona Hospital Regional Trauma Center and also recognized the one-year anniversary of trauma services at Altoona Hospital.
Along with many distinguished guests in attendance, Lieutenant Governor/Senator Robert C. Jubelirer presented a keynote address and U.S. Senator Rick Santorum spoke of the importance of a trauma center in our region.
Hospital Spokesman Ron McConnell stated, “Our purpose today is to recognize the dedication, skill and hard work put forth by this entire institution and our partners throughout our service area, becoming a Regional Trauma Center has changed Altoona Hospital for the better and the type of services we’re able to provide to our residents.”
Lee Hite, vice-chairman of the board of trustees at Altoona Hospital explained the importance of time when a trauma situation occurs, which is one reason why a trauma center was needed closer to this area.
“The ‘Golden Hour’ is that window of opportunity certainly necessary for any trauma patient,” said Hite. “The quicker a patient receives the specialized care of trauma from a trauma team during that ‘Golden Hour,’ the better are the prospects of recovery.”
After an accident, the first 60 minutes are considered the ‘Golden Hour.’ At the Altoona Hospital Regional Trauma Center, teams work together to maximize care during that first hour and every minute thereafter.
“The fact that we put this program together now has made a difference, it’s saved lives and it really gives patients that are affected by trauma the opportunity in the ‘Golden Hour’ to get critical, life saving care that here before they couldn’t get,” said James W. Barner, president and CEO of Altoona Hospital.
He added, “No single person or no single department works alone, instead in this institution, in a trauma program, each employee makes a critical contribution to the care of the trauma patient.”
The first year of the trauma service confirmed in resounding fashion that a trauma center in our region would greatly enhance a trauma patient’s chance of survival. Andrea Cook, a speaker at Wednesday’s event, was ‘living’ proof that the Altoona Hospital Regional Trauma Center saved her life after a violent automobile accident in February 2002.
The STAT MedEvac helicopter service raced to the scene where Dr. Magley was already at the scene. After being extricated from the automobile, Cook was airlifted to the Altoona Hospital Regional Trauma Center.
After extensive surgery and more than a week in intensive care, Cook began therapy to restore her life. At yesterday’s celebration, she extended her thanks to everyone who was involved in saving her life.
“First I would like to extend my immeasurable thanks to Dr. Magley for saving my life and to Dr. McGovern for sustaining it, but also I want to thank the entire staff and personnel of this hospital to contributing to my miraculous recovery,” said Cook.
In Lieutenant Governor/Senator Jubelirer’s keynote address, he shared a similar story of Cook’s dealing with his own son who was struck on his bicycle by a vehicle at the age of 15. Jubelirer’s son was in a coma for nearly five days, but thankfully today he lives and functions very well.
There was no trauma unit at that time, but still the skills of the doctors then were extremely important in saving Jubelirer’s son’s life.
“It’s going to save a lot of lives, we’re fortunate to have a trauma center here,” said Jubelirer. “The commitment made by the board of trustees and the doctors at Altoona Hospital is a significant one clearly.”
He added, “To be able to have the kind of unit they have here is not only an advantage in saving lives, but as we go out and try to recruit jobs and companies to come in here, they look at what health care facilities we have, and this is a major drawing card, so we’re very fortunate to have it.”
Senator Rick Santorum said that it is vitally important to have access to good quality trauma care, especially in rural areas where most of the occupations of people deal with physical activities, so work place trauma is much more likely.
“Certainly there is a great need for trauma care because it is important for rural areas to have this and obviously we have one here in Altoona, which is an outstanding center,” said Santorum. “It is great for the people of central Pennsylvania.”
The Altoona Hospital Regional Trauma Center brings tremendous medical care resources to the most under-served area of the state of Pennsylvania. Time is life in trauma care and the trauma center uses that as its logo.
“It represents a tremendous effort by the entire hospital community,” said Dr. Lampard. “All of us sit here and get the praise, but there’s hundreds of people who have spent countless hours of work to go through the review process from the state and receive this full two year accreditation.”
He added, “I cannot emphasize enough that it is a multi-disciplinary team approach that maintains our focus to provide exceptional and quality care.”
Now there are more reasons than ever before to have hope. Altoona Hospital’s Regional Trauma Center is staffed by the best and is ready for the worst. Teamwork, experience, excellent facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, and a compassionate, caring community ensure excellence in care from admittance through rehabilitation.
