![]() The nondesignated hospitals in the county would be encouraged under the plan to enter into written transfer agreements with the designated trauma centers. ![]() Kaiser's South Sacramento hospital is designated by the plan to provide treatment to some adult major trauma patients with neurologic injuries. The county plan also calls for UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento to provide pediatric trauma services as well as treatment for adult major burn patients and trauma patients with acute spinal cord injury. They will continue to play a pivotal role in providing trauma care to southeast San Joaquin County residents. Modesto in Stanislaus County, with a population of roughly 530,000, is home to two level II trauma centers, Memorial Medical Center and Doctors Medical Center. Many smaller counties, such as Imperial in the south and Shasta in the north, have trauma centers dictated by geography. In fact, only two larger counties, San Mateo in the Bay Area and Ventura bordering Los Angeles, do not have one of California's 63 designated trauma centers. With a population of more than 690,000, San Joaquin County - 15th-largest county in California - is well over the minimum 350,000 residents required by state law to support a level II trauma center. It has the added benefit of being the county's only teaching hospital with programs in general surgery, family practice and internal medicine for resident physicians. And, unlike Stockton's two hospitals, it is much easier to access by air ambulance. Of the seven hospitals, it is the most accessible from a major freeway - Interstate 5. ![]() It is close to both the geographic and population center of the county. While any hospital is eligible to bid on becoming the county's designated trauma center, publicly owned and operated San Joaquin General appears to be a leading candidate for a number of reasons. » No coordinated injury prevention programs and strategies. » Absence of a trauma registry, trauma-care review process and formal trauma-system evaluation. » Limited coordination with neighboring trauma systems. » Lack of a designated trauma center anywhere in San Joaquin County. » Comprehensive policies do not exist to guide pre-hospital and base-hospital personnel in classifying trauma patients and directing trauma patient transport to an appropriate facility. The plan specifically identified the following deficiencies based on an evaluation by county Emergency Medical Services: ![]() Upon arrival, trauma victims were "treated by emergency department physicians and surgeons not specialized in trauma care," according to the plan, and "admitted to intensive-care units that are ill-equipped and unprepared to manage complex trauma cases." Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, San Joaquin General in French Camp, Doctors and Kaiser in Manteca and Sutter Tracy Community. Those patients were transported almost exclusively by ground ambulance to one of seven hospitals - Lodi Memorial, Dameron and St. The delivery of trauma care in San Joaquin County has essentially remained unchanged since the late 1980s," according to a new draft trauma plan being circulated for public review and comment. "The most glaring deficiency in the delivery of trauma care in San Joaquin County is the lack of a coordinated and documented-systems approach for the care of the acutely injured patient. Some of those deaths might have been prevented had one of the seven acute-care hospitals in San Joaquin County been a designated level III trauma center with a countywide system in place to support it. In 2009, trauma resulted in 206 deaths, according to county Public Health Services. STOCKTON - Trauma, defined in medical terms as serious injury caused by accident or violence, is the leading cause of death in San Joaquin County for younger residents.įor those younger than 45, trauma trumps disease, illness and all other causes of death.Īnd yet the county's injured patients must be transported miles away - when time is critical - to get the most appropriate care available.
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