Pediatric Trauma Specialists Converge for Summit

National Pediatric Trauma Leaders Collaborate to Help Save Injured Children

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma hosted 50 key leaders in pediatric trauma for a summit at Graylyn International Conference Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Summit participants formalized plans for projects that will make the most impact in saving severely injured children across the U.S.

View photos from the Summit.

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“Falls, car crashes and other traumatic events result in the death of nearly 10,000 children each year – that’s more than all other causes combined – and many more children are left with a lengthy rehabilitation or lifelong disability,” said Robert J. Gfeller, executive director of the Childress Institute. “It’s our goal to improve care for all injured children in America, and we can achieve this faster and smarter if we work together. Everyone that participated in the summit is passionate about saving the lives of injured kids.”

 

The group identified four core projects including:

  • Rural health care provider needs assessment
  • Pediatric trauma educational platform – a variety of resources available to all health care providers
  • Pediatric trauma dashboard to help measure a provider’s strengths and opportunity for improvement
  • Preliminary Diagnosis App for the general public

 

Small group sessions were led by Dr. Mary Fallat of Kosair Children’s Hospital, Dr. David Mooney of Boston Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Jeffrey Upperman from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Next steps include collaboration to produce and publish a paper on the Summit’s findings, which will be led by Dr. Barbara Gaines from Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. The 2015 summit is a follow up meeting to the first Childress Summit held in 2013 to assess the state of pediatric trauma care in the U.S. and create a 10-year plan for best practices in research, treatment and education, the results of which were published in the September 2014 issue of the Journal of Trauma.

 

The summit included pediatric trauma leaders from 15 states across the U.S., as well as several national organizations from Washington, D.C., and a representative from Canada:

 

American College of Surgeons

Boston Children’s Hospital

Brenner Children’s Hospital at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Children’s National Health System

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development/National Institutes of Health

Kosair Children’s Hospital

KY Hospital Association

Maternal Child Health Bureau / Health Resources and Services Administration

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Phoenix Children’s Hospital

San Antonio Military Medical Center

Texas Children’s Hospital

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

University of Toronto

University of Utah

University of Washington

 

About the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma

Life threatening injury is the No. 1 killer of kids in America. Nearly 10,000 children lose their lives every year from serious injuries, and many more are treated in the emergency room. It can happen anywhere, at any time, to any child. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma discovers and shares the best ways to prevent and treat severe injuries in children. The Institute funds research, education and advocacy to help improve the care and treatment injured kids receive across the U.S. Visit SaveInjuredKids.org to learn more, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.