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UMC trauma center ranks high in study among other universities

UMC's trauma program ranked high among about 55 other university medical centers in a recent study, which the UMC's director attributes to early, aggressive patient care.

University Health System Consortium, an association of medical centers affiliated with universities, conducted a three-phase trauma center study with data starting in 1998, said Danielle Carrier, the agency's operational improvement program director.

Carrier said yesterday that University Medical Center's overall trauma program, as well as its patient length of stay, ranked "well" among other medical centers affiliated with universities, but added that the association did not rank medical centers beyond the top three.

Most of the centers in the study were Level One trauma centers, the most advanced level of emergency care.

She also said abdominal and head injury patients' lengths of stay and costs were below expected figures.

"Those were areas they excelled, as compared to other participants of the project," Carrier said.

The study, called "The Trauma Bench Marking Project," examined three categories - patients with penetrating abdominal wounds, head injuries with a long bone fracture and the overall trauma program.

Daniel Judkins, UMC's trauma coordinator, said the hospital has a low patient length of stay and cost because of its strategy of using tracheotomy, mechanical ventilators and to early intubate.

Judkins said these procedures help patients breathe and when utilized early, can prevent further health complications. Trauma center patients typically suffer from severe injuries and have problems breathing without help, he said.

Judkins added some hospitals are hesitant to use these procedures and instead use other methods to help patients breathe, which can cause complications.

"You look for the earliest signs of deterioration, and then, you jump on it," Judkins said. "You just have to be bold is all it comes down to."

Applying these methods early will cut down on patients' lengths of stay and also increase survival rates, Judkins said.

UMC trauma patient average length of stay is about four days, which varies depending on the patient's injuries, Judkins said.

"If you do this early and more aggressively, the patients will do better and are in the hospital for a shorter time," Judkins said.

Carrier said she agreed this philosophy can reduce patients' lengths of stay at hospitals and cut down on their costs. She added three other hospitals that are part of University Health System Consortium found the same positive effects when the strategy was utilized.

Judkins said the study's finding, that UMC ranked "well," confirms the trauma center's idea that its methods are the best route.

"Our outcomes, when compared with other trauma centers, are definitely very, very, positive and, in some cases, as good as it gets in the United States," Judkins said.

He added UMC will stick with this approach.

"We're going down a right road," he said. "We know we're doing the right thing."

Judkins said all of UMC's staff is involved with caring for trauma center patients because they are often transferred around to different parts of the hospital. He added that UMC's trauma center has five surgeons and 11 resident surgeons.

UMC trauma center treats up to about 300 patients a month, including about one gun shot victim a day, Judkins said.

Steven Johnson, trauma center chief of surgical critical care, said he has researched the methods used at UMC for about 10 years. He added other members of the medical profession have also researched it, too.

"We've had tremendous success on it, and it is something that is increasing across the country," Johnson said.

He added other factors contributed to UMC ranking "well" in the study, such as nursing, Intensive Care Unit staff and respiratory therapists.

"It's a team effort to achieve things like this," said Johnson, who is also an associate surgery professor in the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Judkins said part of UMC's mission is to develop research, which is what doctors did with the creation of this philosophy.

"This is an example of good, firm, solid science - teaching us how to take care of patients better," Judkins said.