Since 2014, McLaren Northern Michigan has been preparing to become a verified Level II Trauma Center. With the expanding services to treat more conditions and patients, a Level II Trauma Center means that Petoskey and the surrounding areas will see decreased transfers to other hospitals. Decreased transfers mean that patients can receive the necessary care close to home.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of EMS Trauma and Preparedness designated a total of $50,000 in grants to the McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation to be used to implement mandatory injury prevent efforts, as well as fund critical trauma education for McLaren Northern Michigan medical staff.
Preventing Unintentional Injuries
An assessment of 721 Trauma Department admissions identified the top three most common types of traumas treated by McLaren Northern Michigan as falls (65%), motor vehicle accidents (16%), and bicycle related injuries (4%). The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services funding is addressing the causes of these common types of trauma through community education and outreach activities.
“Preventing unintentional injuries through education is the most logical approach to reducing death and disability in our northern Michigan communities,” said Jane Poquette, MSN, RN, Trauma Program Manager at McLaren Northern Michigan.
Prevention efforts include safety education programs, classes, and the distribution of literature tailored to specific age groups. Classes such as Matter of Balance offered at the John and Marnie Demmer Wellness Pavilion and Dialysis Center and the McLaren Northern Michigan Cheboygan Campus, provide seniors with strategies to reduce the fear of falling and improve balance, flexibility, and strength.
Another example of targeted prevention is McLaren Northern Michigan partnering with the Michigan State Police on a Distracted Driving Campaign to stop teens from texting and driving. The partnership brought the distracted driving simulator to the Emmet-Charlevoix County Fair in 2016. McLaren Northern Michigan will implement further prevention initiatives this spring.
Training Staff to Treat Traumas
Injured patients present to McLaren Northern Michigan with a wide range of complex problems and optimum care for each individual is centered on the preparedness of a dedicated team of professionals with a broad range of skills.
“For the thousands of patients who are transported to McLaren Northern Michigan for emergency care each year, it is imperative that life-saving protocols and processes are in place,” said Poquette. “This includes continuing medical education and training opportunities relating to Trauma Care for surgeons, physicians, advanced practice providers, and registered nurses.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services grant is helping to fund Advanced Trauma Life Support Education for Advanced Practice Providers, as well as Trauma Nursing Core Course and Trauma Care After Resuscitation training for Registered Nurses.
Thanks to the support of generous donors to McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation, McLaren Northern Michigan has already invested thousands of dollars preparing staff to treat trauma patients. Additionally, McLaren Northern Michigan and Bay Street Orthopeadics worked collaboratively to recruit a dedicated Orthopedic Traumatologist, Austin McPhilamy, MD, in August of 2016.
“Injury prevention and specialized education are critical to attaining the trauma verification and, most importantly, serving our community,” said Poquette. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.”