Paoli Hospital to Submit Letter of Intent for Trauma Center

Friday, May 29, 2009

Main Line Health Board of Governors Approves Program Development

(PAOLI, Pa.)—Paoli Hospital is taking the next step in planning for a Level II trauma center for the community by submitting a letter of intent to the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation which oversees trauma care in the Commonwealth. Chester County, which is the fastest growing county in the state and the only county in Southeast Pennsylvania without a designated trauma center, has been without a trauma center since mid-2002.

The action to move forward with plans to incorporate a trauma center into Paoli Hospital’s services was approved by the Main Line Health (MLH) Board of Governors during its meeting on May 28.

“Initiating a trauma center is a major undertaking, and we are committed to support the program to the level necessary to assure high quality care,” said John J. (Jack) Lynch, president and CEO of Main Line Health. “The pre-hospital care in this region provided by first responders, emergency medical technicians and paramedics is outstanding. Working with these committed people and with our dedicated physicians and hospital staff, we are confident that we can meet the identified need of this critical service.”

Chester County Commissioner Carol Aichele said: “One of Chester County’s strategic goals is to have safe communities. I am pleased with Paoli Hospital’s decision to pursue trauma center designation because it will provide our citizens with closer access to enhanced medical care. This definitely is a benefit to Chester County citizens.”

Dr. Robert C. Fried, Chief of Surgery at Paoli Hospital and a member of the MLH Board of Governors, said the hospital is developing new capabilities clinically and operationally to meet the community’s needs. “When Paoli Hospital opens its new patient Pavilion in July, the Emergency Department’s capacity will be nearly four times greater and will include two dedicated trauma rooms. In addition, we will have state-of-the-art operating rooms with integrated high-definition video platforms and visualization systems as well as new intensive care beds.”

According to analysis conducted by The Chester County Trauma Services Task Force, a committee appointed by Congressman Jim Gerlach, the average time from injury to admission to a trauma center is 15 to 20 minutes longer for Chester County residents than for residents in nearby counties. In fact, Chester County’s current 70 to 75-minute average time between injury and trauma center admission is well above the “Golden Hour” standard when receiving care can mean the difference between life and death.

Paoli Hospital Medical Staff President Dr. Gregory Williams said the physicians are interested in working closely with community leadership and the Hospital’s administration to develop this initiative: “This region has been underserved in terms of local trauma services and we expect to fill this void by offering a high quality center to handle these most critical and urgent situations that impact our citizens.”

Last fall, Paoli Hospital President Barbara Tachovsky announced the Hospital’s interest in serving as a site for a trauma center and in collaborating with The Chester County Trauma Services Task Force to achieve a solution. “There is a demonstrated need for trauma services, and the Main Line Health Board of Governors has supported finding a solution for this need,” added Tachovsky. “Paoli Hospital will work in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, a Level I trauma center, to develop a trauma program at Paoli Hospital with the goal of becoming accredited in 2011.”

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About Paoli Hospital
Paoli Hospital, a member of Main Line Health, is a non-profit acute care hospital with a 157-bed licensed capacity. In July 2009, the Hospital will open a new patient Pavilion featuring evidence-based design concepts that have been shown to create a healing and safe environment that positively impacts the patient experience. The five-story building, including a new Emergency Department on the ground floor, has abundant natural light throughout the building, 124 spacious private patient rooms, surgical suites with a 24-bed Ambulatory Surgical Unit, and 12 state-of-the-art Operating Rooms. Paoli Hospital has earned the distinction of being the first Pebble Project® in the region, a joint research effort between The Center for Health Design and selected healthcare providers, in which Evidenced-Based Design (EBD) “best practices” in healthcare facility design are discovered and shared.

Recognized as a “Best Place to Work,” Paoli offers a wide range of services including cardiothoracic surgery, electrophysiology, advanced cardiac catheterization, cardiac rehab, pulmonary rehab, interventional radiology, the Hattersley Family Centered Maternity Unit with neonatal intensive care, and a Total Joint Replacement Program. Specialty services include a Breast Health Center, a Cancer Center that is a Fox Chase Cancer Center Partner, a Wound Healing Center with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Sleep Medicine and Neurodiagnostic Center, a permanent lithotripsy unit, and a Perinatal Testing Center. The Hospital’s outpatient facilities in Exton and Collegeville offer patients access to Paoli’s physicians and services close to home.

About Main Line Health
Main Line Health (MLH) is a non-profit health system serving portions of Philadelphia and its western suburbs. Founded in 1985, MLH includes four acute care hospitals—Bryn Mawr, Lankenau, Paoli and Riddle, as well as Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital; the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research; Main Line Health Laboratories; Main Line HealthCare, a physician network; The Home Care Network, and Mirmont Treatment Center. The mission of Main Line Health is to provide a comprehensive range of health services, complemented by appropriate educational and research activities.

Contact
Sarah Peterson
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Office: 484-337-8764
Cell: 484-222-1878
PetersonSA@mlhs.org

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