Frankfort Regional Medical Center

Care Close to Home, How the Trauma Center Level System Works No one is prepared for a catastrophic injury—except the trauma team at Frankfort Regional Medical Center. When an event such as a car accident or a fall results in injury, time is of the essence. "Patients need evaluation and stabilization during 'the golden hour'—the first hour after a severe injury—for the best chance of survival," says Steven Vallance, MD, PhD, FACS, Trauma Medical Director at Frankfort Regional. "Those are exactly the services we provide here, in their home community." Frankfort Regional recently earned its second three-year verification as a Level III trauma center from the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. As one of four such centers in the commonwealth, we provide first-line care for traumatic injury patients. We have around-the-clock emergency medicine services and can activate a team led by a trauma surgeon within minutes of receiving notification that a severely injured patient is en route. A variety of specialists—including trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, ER physicians and hospitalists—are on standby 24-7. "About 60 percent of our patients are able to stay here for the entirety of their care," Dr. Vallance says. "The rest need more advanced care at one of the commonwealth's Level I trauma centers, in Lexington and Louisville." BACK FROM THE BRINK For 23-year-old Lexington resident Kennie Anderson, Frankfort Regional had exactly the level of care she needed after a car accident on Interstate 64 this past October. The crash left her with a fractured collarbone, broken ribs and a collapsed lung, among other injuries. The trauma team at Frankfort Regional placed a chest tube to reinflate her lung and drain fluid from her chest. After five days of healing and physical therapy, Kennie was able to go home. Life has since returned to normal. She is even back to lifting dogs as part of her job as an emergency veterinary technician. "The accident occurred within a couple hundred feet of the exit for Frankfort Regional," Kennie says. "I don't know what would have happened if the medical center had not been so close. I was in immense pain, so it was good to receive care as quickly as possible." Â For more information about our Level III trauma center verification, visit FrankfortRegional.com. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) verifies trauma centers on a scale of I to III. Level I trauma centers offer comprehensive care for life- and limb-threatening injuries. Their services include prevention, multidisciplinary treatment, rehabilitation, teaching and research. Lower-level trauma centers transfer their patients to a Level I facility as needed. Level II trauma centers can treat many trauma patients from start to finish but may need to transfer those who need certain specialty services. Level III trauma centers can resuscitate, evaluate and stabilize trauma patients. They also provide definitive treatment when feasible. LEVEL I LEVEL II LEVEL III When You Need It Most Steven Vallance, MD, PhD, FACS Trauma Medical Director Kennie Anderson with husband, Michael. Photo credit: Misty Enright Photography 3

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