Saturday, September 3, 2011

Stump The Eye: Accidents/Hospitals




A reader submitted a question to the Eye that we find interesting and we would like to answer it in great detail, with an investigative journalistic article that explores many aspects of the question. Unfortunately, none of The Eye's volunteer writers are currently available to undertake this project. We do have contacts in strategic positions and so were able to send the question to someone who could give an adequate answer. If any readers out there have any more to add, please submit a comment. If any readers out there have other questions that you would like the Eye to try to answer, send them into middletowneye@gmail.com or alternatively, readers are welcome to research and write articles of their own and submit them to us to be published. We welcome all reader submissions, and in fact we have a very long list of unassigned story ideas and will be happy to work with new volunteer writers who are willing to try taking it on.


Question:

hello, i've got a question that's been bugging me for some time.

i'm hoping the eye or one of it's readers has an answer.

the question is this: why do accident victims requiring medical attention go to hartford hospital instead of middlesex.

it seems everytime i read an accident report in the eye, or in the middletown press, it will say that the victims were taken to hartford hospital. one would think that middlesex being closer would be used.

does anyone know why.


Answer:

Middlesex Hospital Paramedic and Emergency Medical Services Quality Coordinator, John Connelly, explains the answer to the reader's question in this way:

The state OEMS, Office of Emergency Medical Services, has established trauma guidelines which dictate the destination of trauma patients. Many victims of trauma require a level I or II hospital. Middlesex Hospital is not a level I or II trauma hospital. Patient choice can also be a factor. Below are definitions of what level I and II hospitals are.

Level I

The Level I facility is a regional resource trauma center that is a tertiary care facility central to the trauma care system. Ultimately, all patients who require the resources of the Level I center should have access to it. This facility must have the capability of providing leadership and total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention through rehabilitation. In its central role, the Level I center must have adequate depth of resources and personnel.

Level II

The Level II trauma center is a hospital that is also expected to provide initial definitive trauma care, regardless of the severity of injury. Depending on geographic location, patient volume, personnel, and resources, however, the Level II trauma center may not be able to provide the same comprehensive care as a Level I trauma center. Therefore, patients with more complex injuries may have to be transferred to a Level I center (for example, patients requiring advanced and extended surgical critical care). Level II trauma centers may be the most prevalent facility in a community, managing the majority of trauma patients.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

An explanation as to why articles in the MP or Eye usually say victims were taken to Hartford Hospital is easily explained. Usually, only more serious accidents that result in the need for Level I or II trauma are reported upon. Less serious crashes don't get reported in the press. The questioner's observation "...it seems everytime i read an accident report in the eye, or in the middletown press, it will say that the victims were taken to hartford hospital..." is probably correct. If any minor crashes with injuries are reported, I think you'll find that Middlesex Hospital is the destination of choice. Also, if there are reports of minor injuries to police or fire personnel, they are usually treated at Middlesex Hospital.

Now, if someone wonders why some trauma victims go to Hartford Hospital and some go to St Francis, HH is a Level I and SF, last I knew, has not regained its Level I and is still a Level II. I couldn't find any mention of a Level on their website.