“Traumatic injuries are life changing,” said Eliana Troncale, injury prevention specialist at Community Regional Medical Center. “On Trauma Survivors Day, we honor the courage and strength of survivors, their supportive families and our amazing staff who cared for them.”
Level I Trauma Center
Community Regional is home to the Table Mountain Rancheria Trauma Center – the only Level I Trauma Center between Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its designation as a Level I Trauma Center is the highest distinction verified by the American College of Surgeons.
The center serves a 15,000-square-mile area, the same size as Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey combined. In fiscal year 2020-2021, the trauma center team treated 4,295 trauma patients, including 84 pediatric and 1,052 geriatric patients. One of only 13 trauma centers in California, the Table Mountain Rancheria Trauma Center is staffed 24/7 by 13 surgeons who are board certified in surgery and critical care.
Studies have shown that access to Level I trauma care not only significantly increases a severely injured person’s likelihood of survival, but also improves the likelihood of a good recovery. Healing from serious illness or traumatic injury is an extensive process, involving trauma surgeons and emergency nurses as well as care teams at the Leon S. Peters Rehabilitation and Community Regional.
Education and outreach is key
Troncale said that traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 45 years old. Most traumatic injuries seen in fiscal year 2020-2021 in the trauma center were ground-level falls by geriatric patients, motor vehicle collisions, and firearm injuries.
“So much of the trauma we see could have been prevented. We teach patients about heart health and other disease prevention,” said Troncale. “Trauma is also a disease. Through education we have the potential to save lives.”
The team at the Table Mountain Rancheria Trauma Center provides injury prevention programs for the entire Central Valley. Outreach programs focus on prevention, education and intervention for preventing falls, safer driving and preventing blood loss in case of injury.
The trauma center is a member of the Trauma Survivors Network – a community of patients and families connecting and rebuilding their lives after life-altering injuries. And Community Regional's trauma department also educates healthcare professionals on best practices for caring for patients with traumatic injuries.
Recognizing trauma survivors’ milestones can inspire others to continue their recoveries while supporting caregivers and healthcare workers, as well.
Learn more about our trauma center.
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