WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is investing $2 million in four trauma-care projects aimed at improving patient transfers, hospital capacity coordination and emergency readiness, with the pilots intended to identify approaches that could be expanded across the country.
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, or ASPR, is providing $500,000 in first-year funding to each recipient through its new Trauma Care Readiness and Coordination Program.
The initiative targets coordination problems that can delay patients from reaching appropriate trauma or surgical care. States, tribal organizations and trauma centers will test different approaches involving emergency medical services, hospitals, public health agencies and other health-system partners.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California will develop a regional pathway for transferring adult and pediatric patients who require specialized trauma or surgical care after an initial hospital evaluation. The project is designed to shorten the process of moving patients between facilities and matching them with the appropriate level of care.
The Geneva Foundation in Washington will test a regional system connecting military and civilian health care providers. A shared, near-real-time dashboard will provide information on medical capacity and resources to support routine trauma care and disaster response.
The Nebraska Medical Center will develop a statewide coordination model using standardized data, shared escalation protocols, training and performance measures. The project is intended to give health care providers greater visibility into available trauma resources and improve patient transfers across Nebraska.
Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation in Arizona will focus on trauma transfers in a geographically isolated tribal and rural service area. Its project will establish a more consistent regional transfer pathway and strengthen data systems used to identify delays and support treatment decisions.
“When someone suffers a traumatic injury, every minute between the scene of the emergency and lifesaving care matters,” ASPR Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Knox said. “These investments will help communities build stronger connections across EMS, hospitals, trauma centers, and public health agencies so patients can reach the care they need.”
ASPR plans to evaluate the four pilots for effectiveness and feasibility, using the results to determine whether the models could inform broader efforts to improve trauma-care coordination and emergency preparedness nationwide.
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