Author: Robert Fojut

Standard 9.1 from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) requires Level I trauma centers to publish at least 10 trauma-related research articles during each three-year verification cycle. While most centers have little trouble meeting the volume requirement, the administrative burden of running a trauma research and publishing program is significant. I spoke with Heather Rhodes,…

Loop closure is the final step in the trauma performance improvement process, but it also be the aspect of PI that can cause the most trouble for trauma program leaders. “Loop closure is the demonstration that an implemented corrective action effectively protects future similar patients from the impact of a past quality issue,” said Nancy…

The winner of the 2026 Distinguished TCRN Award is Cassie Herman, BSN, RN, TCRN, trauma program manager at Riverside Health, a Level II trauma center in Newport News, Virginia. This annual award is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) to a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse who demonstrates exceptional commitment to clinical…

Healthcare is famous for its silos — mutually isolated operating units that prevent information sharing and create duplicate work. At Salem Hospital, a Level II trauma center in Salem, Oregon, leaders from the trauma program and the charge capture team have built a unique cross-department collaboration that strengthens the work of both teams. Kathy Tompkins,…

Trauma nursing is a demanding career that presents daily challenges but also provides a range of personal and professional rewards. That’s the overall finding of a recent survey entitled “What Do Trauma Nurses Value the Most About Their Job?” The survey was conducted by Trauma System News in February 2026. It was also publicized by…

A national coalition of medical associations has issued updated recommendations for ensuring that hospital EDs are fully prepared to meet the emergency healthcare needs of children. Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and the…

Physiologic changes related to aging have a significant impact on how older patients respond to injury. According to Robert Barraco, MD, MPH, FACS, FCCP, these changes also affect every element of the trauma primary survey. “The primary survey is ‘the same but different’ for geriatric trauma patients,” Dr. Barraco said. “It is the same because…

In July 2025, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) released the third update of Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient: 2022 Standards. As reported earlier, the new July 2025 Revision of the resources manual relaxed the requirements in four trauma center standards. In addition to these material changes, the document also added wording…

More than half of severely injured patients in the U.S. who are first treated at a Level III trauma center or a hospital without a trauma designation are never transferred to a Level I or Level II trauma center, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The…

A study has found that state trauma registries in the U.S. have developed significantly in the last two decades, but widespread gaps remain in registry infrastructure, data collection processes and quality assurance measures. The results of the study were published as an article in press in Injury in August 2025: Status of state trauma registries…