Trauma Care at ECMC

As the area's Adult Regional Trauma Center, ECMC treats thousands of patients every year, from all eight counties of Western New York. We're the only adult trauma and burn center in the region, with a dedicated staff of physicians and nurses available to care for the most severely injured victims. That's important because a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated significantly lower mortality (better survival rates) for patients treated at a trauma center compared with those treated at non-trauma centers.

At ECMC, we have experts on site and on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including:

• Trauma surgeons
• Burn surgeons
• Cardiologists
• Orthopedists
• Internal medicine specialists
• Neurosurgeons
• Geriatricians
• Cardiothoracic surgeons
• Psychiatric specialists
• Vascular surgeons
• Ear, nose and throat specialists
• Oral/maxillofacial surgeons
• Ophthalmologists
• Plastic surgeons
• Anesthesiologists
• OB/GYN providers
• Urologists

Western New York's Only Adult Regional Trauma Center

Here are just a few more reasons why ECMC is the only adult trauma center in the area, with one of the best survival rates for trauma centers in all of New York State:

• We offer state-of-the-art technology and equipment, all available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including trauma resuscitation rooms, FAST scans for intra-abdominal/thoracic injury assessment, designated operative suites, interventional radiology, CAT scans, CT/angiography and MRI.
• Our rooftop helipad provides direct access to the Trauma Center, for times when valuable minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
• A recent report from the Brain Trauma Foundation found that directly transporting head-injury patients to a "Trauma Center Utilizing Guidelines for the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury" is associated with lower mortality. ECMC participates in this program and utilizes these guidelines.
• You can call the Trauma Transfer Referral Line at 1-800-SAY-LIFE (729-5433) to speak directly to an emergency physician 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These physicians help arrange transfer directly to the Trauma Center and are available for continued consultation and support throughout the transfer process.
• ECMC is the Western New York Regional Resource Center for Emergency Preparedness, providing support and education to the entire region, helping our community prepare for a disaster.
• Since the inception of our trauma program—developed by trauma care pioneer Dr. John Border—we have constantly worked to decrease mortality, improve outcomes and train new surgeons to care for traumatically injured people.

Highly Trained Physicians, Nurses and Specialists

ECMC's trauma staff includes 50 dedicated registered nurses (RNs) for intensive care, along with RNs for acute care and the burn treatment center. All Emergency Department and Trauma Intensive Care Unit (TICU) nurses are Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) trained; nurses also receive specialized training in trauma and burn care. Our board-certified intensive care physicians are pioneers in trauma care. In addition, physicians and nurses from our trauma team are affiliated with the University at Buffalo and participate in ongoing research projects to improve trauma care.

On-Site Follow-Up Care

As part of our comprehensive approach, ECMC has rehabilitation specialists for patients with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and restorative needs. We have dedicated social workers for trauma and burn patients. We even offer rehabilitative services for acute care seven days a week.

ECMC also has numerous on-site clinics for follow-up care:

• Surgery Clinic:
  Monday, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
  Tuesday, 1 p.m.–3 p.m.
  Wednesday, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
  Friday, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
• Vascular Clinic:
  Monday, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
  Friday, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
• Burn Clinic:
  Wednesday, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
  special burn-garment fitting is also available
• Burn Wound Clinic:
  at the Burn Treatment Center, open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Neurosurgery Clinic:
  Thursday, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.

Please visit the Regional Trauma page to learn more about outreach education programs, professional educational programs and injury prevention programs.

A Pioneer in Trauma Research

ECMC was one of the first trauma centers in the country. We developed the first crash cart, introduced the first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Western New York and were the first hospital to study the use of bedside ultrasound by the emergency department physician. Today, ECMC remains a leader in establishing the national trauma care standards and also participates in regional quality improvement programs for trauma and injury prevention programs throughout Western New York.

A Message from ECMC's Trauma Center Director

As one of the first trauma centers in the nation, we are proud of our reputation as pioneers in the field of trauma research and for the high level of care and survival that our center has maintained through the years.

ECMC's trauma research has resulted in setting national standards of care for the trauma patient. Techniques such as early surgery and mobilizing the patient to increase chance of survival are among the trauma standards developed here.

There is great satisfaction gained by attaining international attention for taking a lead role in such areas as trauma surgery procedures, nutritional support and specialized nursing care. However, nothing can touch the satisfaction of seeing severely injured patients returned to their families, functioning to the fullest extent of their abilities.

I am pleased to say that because of our committed team of professionals, our leading edge facility and the support of our community, this is a reward that has become commonplace at ECMC.

Roger Seibel, M.D.
Director of Trauma