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1. What are concerns associated with traumatic injury?

Traumatic injury causes physical disability and death. Traumatic injury has surpassed disease as a leading public health concern, hitting our children and elders the hardest. It is the leading cause of unintentional death for Kansans ages 1 to 44.

When you suffer a serious injury you need timely public access via:

• Rapid activation of the EMS system
• Emergency medical care in and out of the hospital setting
• Transport to the nearest appropriate hospital
• Stabilization in the emergency department
• Possible surgical intervention
• Acute hospital care and rehabilitation

All of this reduces the chance that you will become severely disabled or die.

2. For every trauma-injury-related death, how many injuries are there?

For every injury death, there are 260 injury-related emergency room visits. Rushing a child to the emergency room is probably the most harrowing experience of anyone's life. It is critical to know your Kansas Trauma Centers (PDF).

3. Are trauma centers needed everywhere?

Yes, and especially in rural and frontier regions. Our family and friends who live in rural parts of the state face delays in being found if they are injured, longer EMS response times, greater distances to a trauma center, and limited access to specialty resources. All of these factors put them at a higher risk for disability or death.

4. What are the benefits of a systematic approach to trauma injuries?

We take a systematic approach to provide care to the injured patient. So we can match the patient to the right resources for their injury in the shortest amount of time possible, the Kansas Trauma System strengthens a network of relationships between:

• Injury prevention advocates
• Local health departments
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers
• Hospitals and trauma centers
• Rehabilitation specialists

It's your participation and input that makes this network operate smoothly.

5. How old is the Kansas Trauma System?

In 1999, the Advisory Committee on Trauma (ACT) was established by Kansas statute (K.S.A. 75-5663 to 75-5670). The Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) was tasked with administering the program and thus the Kansas Trauma System was born. From there, Trauma regions were outlined and dubbed "Regional Trauma Councils" and executive committees were chosen among peers to lead each council of general members.

A Trauma Registry database was put in place. Representatives from a variety of professional organizations including hospital associations, medical societies, EMS, nurse associations and legislators serve on the ACT to help guide the overall direction of the system. KDHE then develops the rules and regulations necessary to carry out the decisions.

To answer your question, we're a little over 20-years-old. We like to think our program is entering its "college years" and that means making those life-defining decisions all 20-year-olds make.

6. What are some decisions currently being made by the Kansas Trauma System?

The Kansas Trauma System is making decisions that affect your life, behind the scenes of course:

• Promote best practices and resource/funding availability for trauma programs
• Support quality training and recruitment efforts for staff in trauma medicine
• Coordinate regional performance improvement and patient safety (PIPS) efforts and so much more

All of these are to ensure the system works better for injured Kansans and the practitioners who care for them.

7. What are some ways I can get involved and help?

View our Get Involved page to see what you can do to help.