Welcome to the website of the Central Mississippi Trauma Region.

Since we began a few years ago, our main focus has been to decrease the mortality rate caused by trauma in the State of Mississippi. The data indicates we're doing a good job.

In principle, trauma care is a fairly simple concept: activate the EMS system promptly, deliver effective prehospital interventions, promptly transport patients to the nearest hospital capable of managing their medical needs, and provide effective and appropriate emergency, surgical and rehabilitative care. In practice though, effective trauma care is the result of a partnership of dedicated prehospital providers, nurses, physicians and other health professionals, educators, injury prevention programs, public officials and legislators.

For trauma patients, time is life. For patients with life-threatening injuries, delays in providing definitive care increase the probability for death or permanent disability. The goal of a trauma care system is to get the patient to the right place in the right amount of time.

Trauma is a major public health problem in Mississippi. In FY 2003, 10,664 patients were submitted to the State Trauma Registry. Of these, 37% were under the age of 25, 33% were between the ages of 25-44, and 30% were ages 45 and over. The overwhelming majority (89%) of unintentional injuries were caused by motor vehicle crashes.

The Central Mississippi Trauma Region, along with its six sister regions exists to reduce morbidity and mortality through:

Prevention - Data collection and analysis leading to public awareness, education, community-based programs, and safety legislation are critical components leading to the primary prevention of injuries. Priorities include promoting the proper use of seat belts, child safety seats, bicycle helmets, smoke detectors, and the development of a comprehensive safety education curriculum targeting elementary school students.
System Access - Rapid notification of an injury to the correct emergency response agency is vital to a favorable outcome for the trauma patient. One way this can be achieved is by providing enhanced 911 emergency service to the entire state. This allows the 911 operator to determine the location of the injured person when a call is placed. Educating the public in the appropriate use of 911 is also a goal of the trauma system.
Prehospital - Emergency medical service providers must 1) assess the mechanism of injury and patient injury status, 2) provide appropriate emergency treatment and determine the closest, most appropriate facility capable of caring for the specific type of injury (triage), and 3) transport the injured person as rapidly as possible. Triage and transport guidelines are a vital part of a coordinated trauma care system. Each Region has its own triage, transport and destination guidelines, approved by the Mississippi State Department of Health, Bureau of EMS. The Central Region’s policies are posted on this web site.
Acute Care - An inclusive trauma care system requires designation of definitive trauma care facilities and confirmation of their commitment to certain standards of care, but all hospitals remain an integral part of the system. Hospitals can request to be designated as a Level I through IV trauma center. Level I provides the most comprehensive level of care while Level IV provides minimal advanced life support care until transport to a higher level of care is possible.
System Evaluation - A trauma registry is a database used to evaluate the functioning of the trauma care system on a regional and statewide basis. Hospitals can use the trauma registry for internal monitoring as well. It is also useful for prevention education, research, medical cost control, and improving patient care. Trauma Registry software and training are being offered to all hospitals free of charge. The Bureau of EMS has awarded a contract for new trauma registry software, and we’re looking forward to a much more user-friendly and useful platform for evaluating the trauma system.

Delivering effective trauma care promises to present challenges for all of us. But the lives we can save and the futures we can restore make it all worthwhile.

Thanks for visiting our website.

Sincerely,

Brad Carter, JD, REMT-P

Executive Director