Consolidation of trauma programs in the era of large health care delivery networks

Objective: To review the development of an integrated trauma program at two separate campuses brought about by the merger of two medical-affiliated ho spitals, each with an integrated program and a common trauma administrator, medical director, and educational coordinator. Each campus has an associat e trauma medical director for on-site administrative management, a nurse co ordinator, and a registrar. The integration resulted in a reduction of 1.5 full-time equivalents and "cost" savings by consolidated use of the helicop ter, outreach, prevention, research, and educational programs. Regular "int egration meetings," ad hoc committees, and video-inked conferences were use d to institute common quality improvement programs, morbidity and mortality discussions, policies, and clinical management protocols. Reaccreditation by an outside agency, elimination of duplicated services, and maintenance o f pre-merger clinical volume results. Conclusion: This integrated trauma program may serve as a model in this era of individual hospitals merging into large health care delivery networks.