[Newton, MA] – Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation announced today that it has been chosen as one of eleven foundations nationwide to receive funding from Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN). The program is a multi-year, multi-million dollar national investment in America’s nursing workforce to prepare them with the skills needed to serve an older and more diverse population.

Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Northwest Health Foundation, PIN invests in local partnerships that create innovative model projects that can be tested and, if successful, shared nationally. Now in its sixth year of funding, PIN leverages $14 million in grants by RWJF with more than $14 million in matching funding.

Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation (the Foundation) is a statewide nonprofit organization committed to promoting quality care for older adults and people with disabilities through research, innovation and education. As a founding member of the Western Massachusetts Nursing Collaborative, the Foundation forged local partnerships in the Pioneer Valley with nurse leaders and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County to tackle the area’s nursing workforce needs.

The newly funded Care Transitions Education Project (CTEP) supports the recommendations of the recent Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, suggesting that nurses at all levels must actively engage in care transitions for patients and their families and lead quality improvement efforts. Care transitions, where patients are transferred from one care provider or care setting to another, have been associated with high rates of adverse patient outcomes and avoidable re-hospitalizations.

“The rapidly changing health care systems in Western Massachusetts demand that our nursing workforce gain the knowledge and experience necessary to fulfill new roles and responsibilities. This project will enable nurses to collaborate across care settings and lead system improvement efforts in partnership with physicians and other health professionals,” states Kelly L. Aiken, Director of Healthcare Workforce Initiatives at the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County and CTEP Project Director.

While Massachusetts leads the nation in providing universal access to health care insurance, the Commonwealth Fund ranks the state 33rd on avoidable hospital use and costs. “Over the past two years, Massachusetts skilled nursing facilities have been actively engaged in projects to reduce readmissions, and we have seen nurses in every setting rise to the top in these efforts,” said Carolyn Blanks, Mass Senior Care Foundation’s executive director. “Our project will create a standardized curriculum to prepare and empower working nurses and nursing students to be more effective care transition leaders.” The curriculum will be piloted in Western Massachusetts and then disseminated statewide.

The three year grant of $225,000 will be matched by regional and state funders, including Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, Commonwealth Corporation, the Healthcare Workforce Partnership of Western MA, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation. “All health care is local, and nurses are the cornerstone of our health care system. We need solutions that address the challenges facing a changing health care system and that utilize local and regional experience,” said Judith Woodruff, J.D., Director of workforce development at the Northwest Health Foundation and program director for Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future. “With this partnership, Massachusetts is in the forefront of communities nationwide helping to create a well-prepared nursing workforce.”

For more information about Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future, visit
www.partnersinnursing.org.

For more information about the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation and a full list of project
partners, visit www.maseniorcarefoundation.org.

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Nursing is a booming profession that is thriving despite the current economic crisis, fueled by a nursing shortage and rising demand for qualified nurses. To help students take advantage of the growing opportunities and find their nursing career specialty, All Nursing Schools offers a new in-depth look into eighteen different nursing specialties , featuring nursing career overviews, education, salary and career outlook information.

These nursing career overviews help students not only to decide their best nursing career fit, but also to choose the appropriate education path and select the best available school. For example, most nursing specialties require a registered nursing (RN) degree, but some require specific nursing expertise training, such as forensic nursing and neonatal nursing–careers that require specialized credentials and certifications.

The new career guide covers the following nursing career specialties:

acute care nursing
adult nursing
cardiovascular nursing
forensic nursing
geriatric nursing
home health nursing
infectious disease nursing
legal nurse consulting
neonatal nursing
nurse educating
nursing informatics
oncology nursing
parish nursing
pediatric nursing
public health nursing
psychiatric nursing
school nursing
women’s health nursing

Once students learn about these nursing careers, they can refer to All Nursing Schools’ comprehensive database to research and compare nursing schools, empowering them to find the best education choices for their chosen nursing specialties. Product Manager Herman Chiang comments: “Our nursing specialization articles are intended to help narrow the many choices and paths a nurse can take. Each nursing specialty has different educational and training requirements, and many offer diverse career lifestyles. As such, it’s really important for prospective nursing students to be aware of existing and emerging specializations to help them make the best career choice.”

Students can learn about each of these fascinating nursing professions by visiting All Nursing School’s Nursing School Education Resource Center.

About All Nursing Schools
All Nursing Schools is a comprehensive online publisher of accredited nursing degree programs and nursing career resources. Since 2001, All Nursing Schools has been helping match millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their educational needs. All Nursing Schools strives to be the finest resource available to prospective students and nurses, and is one of several unique Web sites owned by All Star Directories, Inc.

About All Star Directories
All Star Directories, Inc. is one of the Internet’s fastest growing publishers of online and career school directories, matching millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their education needs. Recently, Inc. Magazine ranked All Star among the fastest growing companies in the country, and the Puget Sound Business Journal has recognized the company as one of Washington State’s fastest growing companies for five consecutive years. From leading research institutions to fast-growing online and for-profit schools, nearly 6,000 featured schools trust All Star Directories as the authority in online student recruitment. The All Star network of sites focuses on a wide range of fields, including All Allied Health Schools, All Art Schools, All Business Schools, All Education Schools, All Psychology Schools, All Criminal Justice Schools, All Computer Schools and All Nursing Schools. Please visit http://www.allstardirectories.com or call 1-888-404-8043 for more information.

What began as a small bib overall company in 1922 Dickies has grown into the largest workwear manufacturer in the world. Featuring durable, rugged and comfortable work pants, shirts, coats, shorts and backpacks the Dickies brand has attained a loyal following among workers worldwide and now the high quality scrub line is available at Scribbidyscrubs.com.

Even with a lingering recession keeping many economies in a freeze the healthcare industries continue to grow and with it comes the need for flexible, breathable and fashionable medical uniforms and nursing scrubs. Nurses are in demand across the nation and as the profession continues to attract more applicants each year for schools, hospitals and care facilities, scrub uniforms are being bought in large numbers to outfit the tireless, compassionate staffs who tend to the sick and elderly.

In addition to the rapid growth of hospitals and emergency departments, experts predict that as the baby boomer generation nears retirement the need for nurses and healthcare facility staff will only increase. While debate still continues regarding universal healthcare coverage and insurance, there is no doubt that the American population is aging and with it comes the need for skilled and trained nursing professionals who can properly care for this segment of the population.

Just in time for the 2010 holiday season, Scribbidy Scrubs is proud to announce the addition of the famous Dickies brand to its stock of nursing scrubs. From stylish and colorful unisex v-neck tops and men’s raglan sleeve tops to utility scrub pants and 9-pocket drawstring pants Dickies has a full selection of affordable and fashionable discount medical uniforms to outfit hospital nurses, home care visiting nurses and managed healthcare facility staff.

Scribbidyscrubs.com is an independently owned and operated retail uniform business launched in 2006 to serve the medical industry with high quality medical scrub uniforms, footwear, stethoscopes and medical accessories both online and in its retail storefront locations. Scribbidyscrubs.com is also attracting popularity through its Facebook page that allows the company to reach out to a younger generation of nursing professionals.
Featuring a wide selection of name brand nursing scrubs including Cherokee and Baby Phat, Scribbidy Scrubs is now a trusted source for nurses, doctors, healthcare and emergency staff who need comfortable, durable and flexible medical uniforms that can handle the rigors of double shifts and intensive care trauma centers.

Press Release service provided by Keyword Performance, a leading Search Engine Optimization Company located in Wallingford, CT.

The 33-credit, three semester program is designed for nurses who have completed an associate degree in nursing and are licensed in the state of South Carolina. Students who complete the program will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from CCU and will be eligible to apply for graduate study in nursing.

“This was initiated as a collaborative project with HGTC in response to an urgent need in the region,” said Pat A. Bohannan, associate professor and director of nursing, who was hired in January to develop the program. “The hospitals want it, and the nurses want it.”

Classes begin in January 2011 with an expected enrollment of 20 to 30 students.

Already more than 50 prospective students have inquired about the program, nearly all of them graduates of the nursing program at HGTC. Saturday classes are planned to accommodate working nurses. Through a collaborative agreement, classes will be held in tihe Spier Building on HGTC’s Grand Strand campus.

The program has received approval from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS). National accreditation is being sought from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

For more information on the program, call Bohannan at 843-349-4112 or e-mail her at pbohanna@coastal.edu.

Nov 12, 2010 – As part of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board’s (WOCNCB(R)) mission to promote the highest standard of consumer care and safety, the WOCNCB announces its second annual scholarship to the 2011 Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI).

The scholarship is open to any current WOCNCB-certified nurse who is not currently serving on the WOCNCB board of directors.

“Health care reform has become of paramount importance to this board, our certificants and the entire nation,” says Diana Gallagher, MS, RN, CWOCN, CFCN and president of the WOCNCB board of directors. “By sponsoring a NIWI scholarship, we empower the scholarship winner to participate in important dialogs about patient care and healthcare reform.” The WOCNCB scholarship includes internship registration, travel to Washington, D.C., lodging expenses, and a stipend for meals.

The WOCNCB NIWI scholarship application process is open now and will conclude at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on December 20, 2010.  The application and more information are available at www.wocncb.org/NIWI.

The Nurse in Washington Internship is an annual project of the Nursing Organizations Alliance (www.nursing-alliance.org) designed to inform nurses about the legislative process. The 2011 program takes place March 13 through 15, 2011.

About the WOCNCB
The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board is a professional organization dedicated to providing consumer safety and protection by offering credentialing in the areas of wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing to registered nurses who meet WOCNCB’s stringent qualifications and pass its certification examination. WOCNCB certified nurses provide quality care to patients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home healthcare. The WOCNCB has certified more than 6,000 Registered Nurses worldwide. The WOCNCB
is accredited  by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification, formerly the accreditation committee of the American Board of Specialty Nursing (ABNS). For more information, contact the WOCNCB at (888) 496-2622, e-mail marketingmanager@wocncb.org, or visit www.wocncb.org.

# # #

Since 1978, over 6,000 nurses have chosen to certify in wound, ostomy, continence (WOC) and foot care nursing through the WOCNCB. The WOCNCB credentials are recognized throughout the world as The Gold Standard for Certification(R) in WOC and foot care.

Nov 15, 2010 – Fishkill, N.Y. – Fannie Pasquale had guts, a sense of romance, and a strong commitment to family. She was a skilled seamstress, a believer in tradition, and a matriarch to a growing family that now spans five living generations.

But the Fannie that her family knows has changed. Alzheimer’s has taken its hold on the 95-year-old, who can only display brief glimpses of herself to the staff at Elant at Fishkill Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center. That’s where Fannie has called home since 2006.

But because of a new program – The Person Within – recently launched on the campus, those who offer Fannie care each day have a stronger understanding of who she was before, who she still is beneath the disease.

“Our goal is to offer our staff and volunteers a true sense of the person receiving care, an insight into who they are,” said Pat Long, Elant at Fishkill director of Nursing, who conceptualized the program. “Those details can be invaluable when trying to make that personal connection.”

It’s a simple concept, really. The family of a resident is asked to help create a written biography of the resident’s life. The text is coupled with a large photograph display illustrating the resident during different times in his or her life. In Fannie’s case, hers includes an array of photos, most of which show a younger Fannie laughing or smiling while enjoying her large family.

“My grandmother, Fannie, taught me the concept of family,” said Donna Browne-Atkins, an RN and System MDS director for the Elant system. “I grew up with every Sunday being ‘family day’ at her house, and we were all surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins.”

Then a reception is held with the resident and members of the resident’s inner circle. Friends, family, and the staff who care for the resident are all included. The biography is read, and other memories are shared. Then the staff typically sings a song that has particular meaning to the resident.

“During one of our receptions, the resident – who suffered from Dementia – tapped her toe along with the music,” said Long. “Another had tears in his eyes.”

Fannie’s family featured an amusing ditty, “Peppino The Italian Mouse,” that Fannie used to teach the kids when they were young.

“I can still hear her sing that on Sunday mornings,” said one of her children as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

After the reception, the display is posted in a large shadow box just outside the elevators for everyone to see – and to learn – over the next two weeks. When the board is removed, a smaller version is created and featured in a permanent shadow box that is then posted outside the resident’s room.

“It’s a reminder to all that the person in that room has a rich history that is worth sharing; those personal details can be very helpful when trying to calm a resident during a difficult moment,” Long said.

Still, the program isn’t just for those who suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia. Instead, others have been included, like the resident who was painfully shy and spent the vast majority of his time in his room. After the reception, everyone got a glimpse into his background and interests and had a stronger ability to initiate discussions and create a greater sense of family for him.

“Now the staff has an open door to communicate with him, and he was so grateful,” said Long. “It made him feel as though we all had a personal interest in him.”

“Several attendees of the program have said that the person they see upon completion of the receptions is vastly different than the one they saw before the program began, and that is just what we are trying to accomplish,” Long added.

“This program has brought back the feeling of ‘family’ that I remember so well,” said Browne-Atkins. “The staff now knows what was important to my grandmother and can reminisce with her about those special times.”

# # #

Elant, Inc., a community-based, not-for-profit organization, has been a part of the Hudson Valley healthcare landscape for the past 25 years. Its seven campuses, located across five counties, serve an estimated 3,500 people daily and provide sub-acute care and rehabilitation services, nursing home care, assisted living, adult day care, retirement community living, home health care, and a managed long-term care plan. Elant’s mission is to provide personalized, high-quality care and lifestyle options to persons of diverse generations, cultures, means, and needs.

This year’s theme, “Perioperative Nurses: The Freedom to Speak Out” conveys the important role Perioperative registered nurses provide as patient advocates and the role they play in caring for patients before, during and after a surgical intervention. Perioperative nurses have a long tradition of working toward patient safety and improving the quality of patient care.

These highly-trained registered nurses will host the event to share their professional pride and educate the public about their contributions to quality patient care. The nurses will offer demonstrations of medical equipment and instrumentation along with guided tours of the operating and recovery rooms.

“The open house is also an excellent opportunity for students who are interested in a career as an operating room nurse to learn more about the field,” said Senior Vice President Perioperative Services, Michael McCarry “There is a tremendous demand for nurses because of the aging of the Baby Boomers. We are pleased to share our knowledge and experience with students to help them consider Perioperative careers and nursing as a profession.”

The event gives people an opportunity to become familiar with the hospital’s surgical and recovery facilities when they are well to help allay their anxieties in the event that they ever need surgery.

“When you are faced with the prospect of surgery, it’s important to know that you can rely on the skills, knowledge, and expertise of Perioperative registered nurses,” McCarry said.

The program is free. No advance registration is required. Guests must be 13 years or older. Tours will start in the Perioperative Staff Lounge on the third floor of the Guggenheim Pavilion. Refreshments will be served.

For additional information, contact Caridad Alvarez-Figueroa at 212-241-5251 and Calvar03@mountsinai.org.

Saline Memorial Hospital has taken the lead in implementing the multifaceted, technologically-advanced patient services program at its 167-bed facility in Benton. On Oct. 28, the nonprofit hospital launched new services that focus on enhanced patient comfort and overall hospital experience in addition to the patient safety and security components that were introduced earlier this year.

“The CareView technology is very innovative, it’s a patient satisfier and most importantly, it enhances safety and security for our patients,” said Judi Kindy, Registered Nurse at Saline Memorial Hospital. “Family members who have an elderly loved one in the hospital love this new system. It gives them comfort knowing we’ve added enhanced security to keep our patients safe.”

Developed by CareView Communications, the new patient-comfort services allow Saline Memorial Hospital patients the options of accessing high-speed Internet on the room’s television using a wireless keyboard as well as on-demand movies through customized entertainment components of NetView and MovieView. These options not only enhance patient comfort and mood, but also offer an entertainment outlet for visitors as well.

Also beginning on Oct. 28, patients may opt for enhanced communication services through the PatientView component. HIPAA-compliant and password-protected, PatientView enables two-way communication between the patient and family members or friends via webcam from anywhere in the world. Additionally, nursing staff may leave status reports with patients’ family members via PatientView, thereby reducing calls into the nursing station.

These three new entertainment and communication components complement the comprehensive CareView program and the three previously implemented clinical CareView services that focus on enhancing patient safety and security through advanced technology: NurseView, SecureView and Virtual Bed Rails.

All three utilize the installation of monitoring stations located at each floor’s nurse station. Through the NurseView patient safety program and with patient consent, nurses may monitor patients from the nursing station between rounds. Through the SecureView program, hospital managers help ensure the continued rendering of quality care.

Through the use of cutting-edge technology, Virtual Bed Rails enhance patient safety and help reduce falls before they happen through the use of invisible motion sensors that create an invisible border around a patient’s bed.

“As a nurse, the CareView system relieves certain anxieties when I know I have patients at risk for falls. With the Virtual Bed Rails, we can draw invisible motion sensitive borders on either side of the patient’s bed from the nurse monitor. If a patient crosses over the border, it triggers an on-screen visual and audible alarm at the nurse’s station of a potential fall. This system has already proven successful in reducing patient falls,” Kindy said.

The CareView program solidifies Saline Memorial Hospital’s reputation as a hospital that provides outstanding medical care and services. The hospital has garnered several recognitions and awards, including The Governor’s Quality Award for Performance Excellence (Commitment Level), The Governor’s Work-Life Balance Mature Worker Award 2009 & 2010, the 2009 HomeCare Elite Award for Home Health Services, the Arkansas Medicaid Inpatient Quality Incentive Award, and the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care Innovator Award 2008-2010.

“The CareView System is best suited for those who place high quality care, safety and a positive hospital experience first,” said Sam Greco, CEO of CareView Communications. “We are fortunate and privileged to have the opportunity to serve Saline Memorial Hospital as they continually strive to excel in each of these areas. This is the difference between good and great….the desire to be the best and taking the necessary steps to help your care giving team to get there.”

The Saline Memorial campus encompasses approximately 400,000 square feet of inpatient and outpatient treatment areas, a separate Home Health/Hospice unit, and two medical buildings. Saline Memorial Hospital also operates two family clinics in Bryant that offer a variety of primary services. The comprehensive medical center offers a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services including, but not limited to cardiology, neurology, pediatric, orthopedic, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, psychiatric and wound care.

For more information about the hospital’s services, visit www.salinememorial.org.
SOURCE: Saline Memorial Hospital
CONTACT: Rebecca Jones, 501-776-6764

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 29, 2010 – BENNINGTON —Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) became one of only 30 hospitals in the world and only the third hospital in New England to earn the designation of Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence for a third time on October 29. SVMC was the first Magnet hospital in Vermont, the third in New England and is one of only 377 Magnet hospitals in existence.

Magnet status is a designation that comes only after a rigorous and intense review. Designation is offered in four-year increments. SVMC was originally designated in 2002 and again in 2006.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) designates Magnet Hospitals after a thorough review of quality indicators and standards for nursing practice. The ANCC has identified through research certain characteristics associated with best outcomes for patients that make an organization a Magnet designee.  These characteristics include quality, autonomy, innovative thinking and practices, and the strength of the organization’s relationships and communication among nurses and other healthcare providers.

“The nursing staff is truly honored to accept its third designation as a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence alongside our fellow employees and physician colleagues,” said Carol Conroy, SVMC’s chief nursing officer and vice president of operations.

“Earning the designation again truly is a testament to SVMC’s serious commitment to high quality care that is also compassionate and individualized,” continued Conroy.

“For the community, being named a Magnet hospital offers a recognizable benchmark of that quality. For the nursing staff, it validates the research, use of best practices and the professional collaboration that is a part of our daily work.

“Our striving for excellence is what makes SVMC a great place to work, a great place for medical care and a great place to clinically practice.”

According to the ANCC, independently-sponsored research shows that Magnet-designated facilities consistently outperform non-Magnet organizations in areas such as shorter hospital stays for patients, delivering better patient outcomes and recording higher rates of patient satisfaction. A Magnet hospital attracts and keeps the best nurses, providing them with an environment where they are encouraged to think innovatively and to achieve personal levels of nursing excellence.

“Being a Magnet Hospital means our patients can rest assured that they are being cared for by the highest quality nursing staff in the highest quality setting, ” stated Jean Cody, director of Magnet services at SVMC. “A Magnet organization has its basis in strong and supportive relationships between nurses and the medical staff. Because Magnet hospitals retain outstanding nurses, they also attract top-notch physicians.”

“I am very proud and excited about the news of our Magnet designation,” said Thomas Dee, President and CEO of SVMC.
Added Dee, “To receive the designation once is a remarkable achievement. SVMC’s staff has now achieved Magnet designation three times — this truly raises us to another level of excellence.”

SVMC continuously pursues new levels for quality and patient satisfaction. Their emergency department is one of only four in the nation to be awarded a Summit Award for Patient Satisfaction four times in a row by Press Ganey. Press Ganey is a national company that administers patient satisfaction surveys for thousands of U.S. healthcare facilities.

“This is truly a day to celebrate,” added Conroy. “It’s not just about the nursing and medical staffs, either. Everyone, from the housekeepers who keep our hospital shining to the administrative staff who support us, played an important role in getting us to our third Magnet designation.

“It’s impressive to see what you can accomplish when you work as a team, with the common goal of providing the best medical care possible to our community.”

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About SVMC: SVMC is part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care, a community-based, not-for-profit health system that exists solely for the benefit of the communities it serves. To find out more, visit their website at www.svhealthcare.org.

Hospital officials announced in October 2009 their intention to seek Level II status.  The only other nearby Level II centers are in Anderson, SC, and Wilmington, NC.  Level I trauma centers are in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg, SC.

“A trauma patient is someone who has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury with the potential for secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure or even death, something that could happen to any one of us or our loved ones at any time,” explained John Molnar, MD, emergency department medical director, “In many cases, the difference between life and death following a trauma is time.”

It is well established that the victim’s chances of survival are greatest if care is received within a short period of time after a severe injury. In a life-threatening accident, the chance of survival increases dramatically if there is a designated trauma program close to the victim.

Officials have spent the past year recruiting staff, writing protocols, meeting with EMS and reviewing the many standards and requirements of Level II.

“A major part of the process has been the recruitment of trauma surgeons, a trauma orthopedic surgeon and additional nursing staff,” said Lewis Dickinson, MD, medical director of the trauma service. “Trauma center designation criteria set strict requirements for staffing, specialist availability, response times, training, quality improvement and community education.”

A Level II trauma center must have an operating room and surgery staff available 24/7.  In addition, a trauma surgeon and anesthesia staff must be in the hospital 24 hours every day, with major surgical specialties, including general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and anesthesia staff on-call, but clearly committed to being in the emergency department when the patient arrives. Two designated trauma nurses must be available in the emergency department at all times.

The Grand Strand Regional trauma program currently has four trauma surgeons and one orthopedic trauma surgeon along with a complement of anesthesia staff, nurses and ancillary staff. All critical care, surgical and emergency department nurses have completed trauma nursing core certification in addition to the required advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support training.

In recent months, hospital staff has worked closely with local emergency medical service providers for training and protocols and will continue with training and education.

“Care of the trauma patient begins in the field with EMS and continues until the patient is discharged,” said Dr. Dickinson.  “All areas of the hospital – from critical care and surgery to laboratory, nutrition and physical therapy – are involved throughout the continuum of care.”

Quality improvement and outcomes are a vital part of the trauma process and a trauma registrar will enter all trauma patients into a state and national database to continuously track trends and monitor quality improvement.

“Grand Strand Regional  is well positioned to become a Level II designated trauma center and we are pleased to bring this higher level of care to our region,” said Doug White, chief executive officer. “This new service will be a tremendous benefit to this part of South Carolina and is not possible without the commitment and dedication of hospital staff, physicians and EMS responders.”

The designation process includes verification of compliance standards by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Division of EMS and Trauma.