Message from the Director for Trauma Services

A Year of Growth, Structure, and Progress

The past year was a period of significant growth and transformation for the Trauma Department. Trauma patient volume increased by 12%, placing increased demand on clinical operations, performance improvement processes, and workforce capacity. This growth required deliberate restructuring to ensure continued delivery of safe, high-quality trauma care.

Program Growth and Organizational Strength

In response to sustained volume growth and increasing patient acuity, the Trauma Program underwent a formal reorganization, establishing three defined operational pillars:

• Clinical / Performance Improvement
• Trauma Registry / Data management
• Research

Each pillar is led by a dedicated manager reporting through Trauma Services leadership, strengthening accountability, communication, and program oversight. This reorganization and expansion were supported financially and operationally by executive leadership.

The department successfully hired 6 new staff members, supporting registry operations, performance improvement activities, and program sustainability during a period of rapid growth.

Building Structure to Support a Growing Population

In response to increasing patient complexity and evolving demographic needs, the Trauma Program implemented Geriatric Trauma Guidelines and Emergent Vascular Guidelines to improve standardization of care, interdisciplinary communication, and outcomes for high-risk and time-sensitive patient populations. These initiatives align with ACS-COT best practices for integrating clinical guidelines into trauma performance improvement processes.

The department also launched a Family Therapist Intern Program, expanding psychosocial support for trauma patients and families while contributing to workforce development and holistic trauma care.

2025 Snapshot

• Total trauma volume: 5,039
• 12% year-over-year volume growth
• 6 new staff members hired to support clinical operations, PI, registry, and program sustainability
• Strengthened endovascular program with the vascular team
• Identified a vascular liaison: Dr. M. Danapal
• Identified a geriatric program liaison: Dr. S. Tuck
• Data Accuracy: Registry inter-rater reliability: 98%
• Dedicated trauma social work + family therapy intern coverage

Finance and Budget Performance

During the reporting year, Trauma Services placed strong strategic emphasis on improving the accurate capture of trauma-related charges across the health system. Multiple initiatives were developed and implemented to address gaps in charge capture, with close collaboration among Trauma Services, Finance, Revenue Integrity, and other key operational departments.

This work was prioritized as a critical organizational initiative, recognizing both the complexity of trauma billing and its impact on financial sustainability. Through consistent interdisciplinary collaboration and process refinement, the program demonstrated measurable success. As a result, Trauma Services was recognized by the Value Compass Waster Workout Program as these changes in the financial process resulted in 4769K in additional revenue generation for the department.

Work in this area remains ongoing as trauma charge capture is a complex and evolving process. Continued collaboration with finance leadership has been instrumental, and these partnerships are highly valued as we sustain improvements and pursue additional opportunities for optimization.

Research Productivity & Metrics

2025 performance shows steady growth:

• New IRB-approved projects increased early in 2025, with a strong base of ongoing surgery and trauma research
• Multi-institutional projects expanded from 1 to 3 by late 2025
• Scholarly output included posters and podium presentations (GSACS, G-COT)
• Resident research participation is high:
  • 94% of PGY3-5 residents engaged in research or scholarly activity
  • Research surveillance meeting attendance reached 81%
• Research staff met or exceeded annual continuing education goals by end of 2025

Resident Research Readiness:

• 100% readiness across all PGY levels (1–5):
  • CITI training complete
  • Current CVs on file
  • Active Wake eIRB accounts
• Program goal achieved early: strong infrastructure supporting resident research involvement by PGY2-5

The 2025 year-end assessment reflects a program with a strong collaborative foundations and clear strategic direction while also identifying focused priorities to strengthen research capacity.

Southeast Trauma System Collaboration

Throughout the year, Trauma Services actively participated in the Southeast Trauma System collaboration, reinforcing regional partnerships and shared commitment to high-quality trauma care. This collaboration focused on strengthening relationships among member institutions while identifying common challenges across the trauma system. Through ongoing dialogue and shared initiatives, partners worked toward harmonized solutions that promote consistency, efficiency, and improved outcomes across the region. This collective approach has enhanced communication, fostered alignment on best practices, and reinforced the value of regional collaboration in addressing complex trauma system issues.

Looking Ahead

Balancing departmental reorganization, staff onboarding, new clinical initiatives, and the rigor of ACS-COT reporting data year required adaptability, collaboration, and resilience. It was, in many ways, enough to make a new director smile—and pray A LOT.

Through these efforts, the Trauma Department strengthened its operational foundation, improved data reliability, and demonstrated a mature, well-structured performance improvement program. The dedication and professionalism of the Trauma Services team were instrumental in navigating this year of growth and preparing the program for continued success.