HomeMy WebLinkAboutalco-trauma-presentation-board-of-supervisors-04262022ALAMEDA COUNTY
TRAUMA SYSTEM
RECOMMENDATIONS
Greg Bishop & Sarah Spilman
Bishop+Associates
April 26, 2022
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Bishop+Associates Qualifications
37 years developing trauma centers and systems
Founded U.S. Trauma Center Economic Study (1993)
Founded Trauma Resource Network (1996)
Founded Trauma Center Association of America (2003)
System assessments/state funding for Texas, Arizona,
South Carolina, Georgia, Washington, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, and Illinois
Major innovator for trauma care and injury prevention
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Project Description
Objective:
Provide an expert, independent assessment on:
1.Alameda County’s current trauma system
2.The need for additional trauma center(s) in the future
Steps:
Obtain collaborative input from all stakeholders
Assess population growth, trauma market, hospital finances,
medical staff, and facilities of current and potential trauma
centers
Delineate trauma service areas and assess trauma volume
Make other recommendations to improve the trauma system
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The Alameda County Trauma System is Strong
Alameda County has a robust and mature trauma system
that began in 1987
Highland Hospital: Level I adult trauma center
Eden Medical Center: Level II adult trauma center
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital: Level I pediatric trauma center
All trauma centers reverified by the American College of
Surgeons in 2021
At present, Alameda County is well served by current
trauma centers
No evidence that patients lack access to trauma care
99% of residents live within 30 miles of a trauma center
Alameda County Trauma Centers Care for
Thousands of Injured Patients
Mechanism of Injury
All Patients Admitted
Patients Falls Transportation
Accidents Assault
Benioff Children’s Hospital 1007 761 45% 32% 3%
Highland Hospital 2856 1351 34% 38% 23%
Eden Medical Center 2413 1680 54% 39% 9%
TOTAL 6276 3792
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Trauma Centers Must Meet Stringent Criteria
Level II Adult Trauma Center
15 surgical specialists on call panel
24/7 availability of operating room, blood
bank, and radiology
Injury prevention and ongoing clinical
education
Level I Adult Trauma Center
Same as above, plus
At least 1200 admitted patients annually for quality
Surgery residency program
Research program
Level I Pediatric Trauma Center
Same as LI adult trauma center except 200+
minimum volume (age < 15 years) and
additional pediatric specialty services
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California Law
CA Health & Safety Code §1798.165 (2016)
(a) Local emergency medical services agencies may designate
trauma facilities as part of their trauma care system pursuant to
the regulations promulgated by the authority.
(b) The health facility shall only be designated to provide the level of
trauma care and service for which it is qualified and which is
included within the system implemented by the agency.
(c) No health care provider shall use the terms trauma facility,
trauma hospital, trauma center, trauma care provider, trauma
vehicle, or similar terminology in its signs or advertisements, or in
printed materials and information it furnishes to the general
public, unless the use is authorized by the local EMS agency.
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Trauma Centers Per Population
1.68 million people in Alameda County
841,000 population per adult trauma center
Adding 1 or 2 trauma centers would put Alameda County well
below other urban counties in California
County Population
(in thousands)
Adult Trauma
Centers
Average per Trauma
Center (in thousands)
Contra Costa 1,166 1 1,166
Orange 3,187 3 1,062
Santa Clara/San Mateo 2,701 3 900
Alameda 1,682 2 841
Los Angeles 10,014 15 668
San Diego 3,299 5 660
Total/Average 22,049 29 760
Alameda (add 1 Trauma Center)1,682 3 561
Alameda (add 2 Trauma Centers)1,682 4 420
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Projected Population Growth in
Alameda County (2020 to 2040)
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A New Trauma Center Must Enhance
(Not Destabilize) Current Trauma System
American College of Surgeons (2021):
“Some urban and suburban areas have a plethora of trauma
centers that raises costs and dilutes the patient volumes.”
Brown et al. (2017):
“Volume siphoning through unregulated growth of
unnecessary trauma centers can have a profound detrimental
impact on outcomes.”
Truong et al. (2021):
“Adding trauma centers in areas without access issues may lead
to dilution of expertise and lower patient volumes for those
centers.”
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Considerations for New Trauma Center(s)
Saving Lives:
Are lives lost due to lack of trauma access?
Providing Access:
Are patients and families required to travel far from home for trauma
care and follow-up?
Are patients leaving Alameda County for trauma care?
Supporting the System:
Are EMS transport times excessively long?
Will the existing trauma centers lack capacity in the future?
Will a new trauma center negatively impact existing trauma centers?
Preparing for the Future:
Is the region experiencing population growth?
Will the trauma service area have adequate patient volume?
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Minimum Level II Trauma Volumes
We were asked to provide analyses on a minimum volume
for a Level II trauma center in Alameda County
ACS has no minimum volume for Level II trauma centers
Pennsylvania has a minimum volume of 600+ trauma patients
California law requires population of 350,000 per trauma
service area [Equates to 700 admissions (2.0 per 1000 population)]
Trauma centers require sufficient patient volumes to
provide high quality care
California trauma centers have very high readiness costs
which require higher volumes to support the trauma center
economically
We recommend a minimum volume of 750 admissions
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Located on Pleasanton campus
ED volume of 36,000 visits in 2019 (pre-pandemic)
167 staffed beds
14 miles from Eden Medical Center
Strong leadership and administrative commitment
Valuable support and mentorship from Stanford Level I
trauma program in Palo Alto
Trauma service area has a current population of 350,118
Includes San Ramon in Contra Costa County
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Stanford Health Care - ValleyCare
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East County Trauma Leaving ALCO
In 2019, 6 patients transported by EMS from Alameda County
to a trauma center in Contra Costa County
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Stanford Health Care - ValleyCare
Total
Alameda County Trauma Volume (From Eden)394
Contra Costa County Volume (From John Muir)80
Local Hospital Volume 12
SHC-VC Volume 70
Projected Admitted Volume 556
2020 TSA Population: 350,118
2040 TSA Population: 409,353
% Change: 17%
Projected 2040 Admitted Volume 651
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Located in Fremont
ED volume of 53,000 visits in 2019 (pre-pandemic)
250 staffed beds
14 miles from Eden Medical Center
Strong leadership and administrative commitment
Years of investment and preparation to be trauma center
Trauma service area has a current population of 415,231
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Washington Hospital Healthcare System
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South County Trauma Leaving ALCO
In 2019, 272 patients transported by EMS from Alameda
County to a trauma center in Santa Clara County
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Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Total
Alameda County Trauma Volume (From Eden)350
Alameda County Volume (From Santa Clara County)180
Local Hospital Volume 61
WH Volume 131
Projected Admitted Volume 722
2020 TSA Population: 415,231
2040 TSA Population: 493,176
% Change: 19%
Projected 2040 Admitted Volume 859
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Findings & Recommendations
Bishop+Associates make the following recommendations to
the Alameda County EMS Agency:
1. Alameda County will need one additional Level II
trauma center in the next 5 years.
2. Washington Hospital Healthcare District is equipped
to meet the needs of more Alameda County
residents and will meet the minimum trauma
volume recommendation.
3. Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare could be
considered as a trauma center in the next 10-20
years.