The countdown has started. This week I turned 39 and nine days later I hope to receive a belated birthday present from Solano County - the status of Level III Trauma Center for NorthBay Medical Center.
It's a busy week. The Joint Commission, which gives accreditation to healthcare organizations, is here examining our hospitals' clinical laboratories. At the same time, our full-court press is on to prepare for our trauma designation visit.
In my dogged pursuit of blog topics, a chat with my trauma team revealed an interesting trend developing when it comes to the reasons people visit our emergency departments: Bites. Dog bites to be precise.
A mix of sadness and joy makes this a bittersweet week, I'd guess you'd say.
On Monday morning, I was emcee for the dedication of our NorthBay Medical Center trauma bay. It is now the Morgan Gallegos Trauma Room.
How do you introduce someone you have never met? How do you honor a person who sacrificed so much you can't even fathom the magnitude of their offering? How do you ask a complete stranger to let you share their most intimate feelings and their raw pain?
How do you ask a parent to share their lost child?
The trauma train has left the station.
By that I mean that we are locked, loaded and ready to rock. Extensive education, training, and drilling have gone into the creation of our trauma services program and we are in the final stages of seeking designation.
