A conference for medical health professionals geared toward treating patients in trauma and critical care is set to begin Sept. 16 at the Fort Lewis College Student Union Ballroom.
Hosted by Mercy Regional Medical Center’s trauma center, the event brings together nurses, physicians, and trauma and emergency responders, among others, for a two-day conference.
“We try to focus to some of the things specific to our area, such as mountain rescue,” said Linda Young, director of critical and trauma care at Mercy. “Last year, we had response directed toward avalanches.”
Young said because of the region’s relative isolation, it’s important for emergency care providers to hone in on specific practices of care that can help save a patient’s life, such as stabilizing an injury until transport is available.
“We do have a lot of people in the wilderness that require rescue, and sometimes they have the patient longer than they would in urban areas,” she said. “And in this area, since we (Mercy) are only a Level 3 trauma center, patients have to come us. Then, we stabilize and admit them, or we discharge, or send them to a higher level of care.”
Yet, the conference is tailored to attract medical health professionals with a wide range of interests.
This year, some topics include active shooter response, suicide in an emergency setting, bomb-injury care, trauma below the knee, how to stop bleeding and care of acute burns, among others.
The keynote speaker is Richard Patrick, the director of Medical First Responder Coordination for the Medical Readiness Division of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Health Affairs.
The cost for the two-day conference is $125 for Centura affiliated personnel and $150 for non-Centura personnel.
Credits can be gained for continuing education requirements.
On the Net
2016 Trauma and Critical Care conference: http://bit.ly/2ctysyp
