Thank you for your support as I begin my term as Florida COT chair. There are great opportunities ahead. With everyone’s help, we’ll work together to strengthen our incredible system of Trauma Centers.
A great part of our success will be communication. As your FCOT Chair, I’ll be providing updates between our scheduled business meetings to keep everyone informed of events and aware of opportunities to participate. 2022 is shaping up to be an important year, and I encourage everyone to reach out and engage.
January Meetings in Daytona Beach
FCOT/AFTC Leadership Meeting with Florida DOH
In January, the Florida Trauma System Advisory Council and Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council held meetings during Fire East in Daytona Beach.
FCOT and AFTC leadership had an opportunity to speak with Kate Kocevar, Director of the office of Trauma. Thanks to the FCOT Vice Chairs and Candace Pineda, President of the Association of Florida Trauma Coordinators (AFTC), for participating on behalf of our stakeholders.
Topics covered included the prospective ACS Consultative visit, revision of our state trauma standards, the role of the Florida Trauma System Advisory Council and Florida DOH plans for site visits. We were advised that the Florida Trauma System Advisory Council has responsibility for formally requesting an ACS consultative visit to state government. FTSAC will also be the body reviewing drafts and revising our Florida Trauma Standards. Moving forward, Florida DOH plans to perform mixed virtual and in-person site visits for our Trauma Centers.
Florida COT continues its policy of supporting an ACS consultative visit and will do its part in keeping our Trauma Centers informed as this process unfolds. FCOT will also strive to keep our stakeholders updated as the state standards are reviewed and revised.
EMSTARS & the TQIP Collaborative
Also during the January meetings in Daytona, our TQIP Collaborative held a first-ever joint meeting with EMSAC’s EMSTARS Data Committee, the Florida prehospital EMS Tracking and Reporting System. Thanks to all TQIP committee members who were able to participate in-person or call-in. EMSTARS and our TQIP collaborative agreed to form a joint committee to look at opportunities for collaboration and mutual support to maximize optimal patient care in our Florida Trauma Centers, particularly by working to ensure EMS and trauma registries are complimentary.
FTSAC Meeting
On behalf of FCOT and AFTC, I and Candace Pineda had an opportunity to present to FTSAC. You can read my comments to FTSAC on the FCOT website. The first FTSAC meeting of 2022 also saw the farewell of Michael Leffler as FTSAC moderator and Michael was recognized for his hard work on behalf of FTSAC and our Florida Trauma System. Congratulations to Lisa Di Nova, TPM at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, on being elected Moderator for FTSAC and congratulations to Candace Pineda, TPM Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood and President of AFTC on being elected as co-moderator.
Upcoming Events
National COT Meeting
The Committee on Trauma’s National Meeting will be held in Seattle beginning March 8th. Along it with being the 100th anniversary meeting of the COT, the meeting will mark the official release of the ACS COT Gray Book and the first update since 2014. Florida COT will strive to “get the word out” to Florida’s Trauma Centers on Gray Book standards and guidelines over the coming months.
March FCOT Business Meeting
Save the date for our first business meeting of the year on March 23rd. Invited speakers include Mary Mayhew, President and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association and Dr. Angus Jameson, Florida State EMS Medical Director.
The morning will begin with our Florida TQIP Collaborative education meeting at 8:00 AM, highlighting best practices at our Trauma Centers. If you are interested in sharing a success or goal achieved, please reach out to Brian Hart to get time on the agenda.
We’ll also have updates from EMSAC, FLDOH and on our pilot Stop the Bleed program with the Florida Highway Patrol. I look forward to seeing everyone online.
Register for the March Business Meeting
April Pediatric Trauma Workshop
FCOT and AFTC are planning a workshop for Pediatric Trauma Center leaders. Topics will include updates to ACS standards, EMS, outreach and research. Thanks to Dr. Brian Yorkgitis from UF/Jacksonville for being FCOT lead for this initiative. Pediatric Trauma Medical Directors and Program Managers interested in participating are asked to contact Brian Hart to ensure they are added to the invitation list. More to come as time approaches.
May Visiting Professor & Paper Competition
Dr. Thomas Scalea from the University of Maryland School of Medicine will be joining us as the 2022 Visiting Professor from May 9-13, 2022. Thomas M. Scalea, MD, FACS, MCCM, is the Physician-in-Chief of the R Adams Crowley Shock Trauma Center, System Chief for Critical Care Services at the University of Maryland Medical System, the Honorable Francis X. Kelly Distinguished Professor of Trauma Surgery and Director, Program in Trauma at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
During the week of May 9th, Dr. Scalea will be with us for a series of lectures and tours across our Florida Trauma System. I want to thank St. Mary’s Medical Center, Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Orlando Regional Medical Center, and University of Florida Gainesville for offering their facilities and hospitality to our Visiting Professor. We are working to ensure all lectures are broadcast so everyone can participate as frequently as possible.
More Visiting Professor Information
We are already off to an exciting year. Thank you all for your continued support of the Florida Committee on Trauma and for what you do every day for our Trauma System’s patients. FCOT will do its part to support your mission and the exemplary care we all strive to provide for our patients.
Peter
Peter A Pappas MD FACS
Chair
ACS COT-Florida
Contact
Phone: (904) 309-6263
contact@floridacot.org
