Jackson International

General Services

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High Risk Obstetrics		Pediatric Cardiovascular Services		Trauma		Neurology

Trauma

Advanced trauma care is provided to a large number of international patients transferred from the Caribbean, Central and South America and others. These trauma patients are treated at the Ryder Trauma Center, which is one of the largest, most comprehensive trauma centers in the world. It is a four-story, 166,000-square-foot building with a helipad on the roof that was specially constructed to handle the Presidential Helicopter.

The Ryder Trauma Center provides resuscitation, diagnostic and medical treatment, emergency surgical intervention, and intensive care to trauma victims. It is the only adult and pediatric certified Level I trauma center in South Florida.

The center features extensive research and education facilities, and serves as an Army Forward Surgical Team Training facility, preparing military healthcare personnel to provide care to those injured on the battlefield. From resuscitation to rehabilitation, the center provides a comprehensive continuum of care. The specialized training, experience, and skills of the center's surgeons, physicians, nurses and staff are responsible for saving lives and hastening patient recoveries at every stage of the process.

At the Ryder Trauma Center, patients arriving via ground or air rescue are rushed to one of five specially designed, newly renovated resuscitation rooms. Patients who arrive by helicopter on the center's rooftop landing pad are carried by high-speed elevators to a resuscitation room in just 15 seconds. Awaiting patients in the Resuscitation area is a designated trauma team who remains in hospital and available 24 hours a day, ready to respond to the needs of those suffering severe traumatic injuries.

Rapid assessment and management of injuries is a critical factor in improving outcomes of trauma patients. Because of this, the Ryder Trauma Center is designed for rapid implementation of life-saving emergency treatments. Conveniently located in the Resuscitation area are radiology equipment, ultrasound machines, a new 64 slice Computerized Tomography scanner with a 128 slice CT scanning suite currently under construction. The proximity of these diagnostic modalities has been designed to provide critical information rapidly to the trauma team.

If the patient's head or spine appears to be injured, the trauma team conducts a diagnostic scan to determine whether surgical treatment or medication is the best approach. The Neurosurgical team is also available in hospital 24 hours a day for consultation as their in-depth knowledge of brain injuries holds the key to successful treatment in most cases. The Neurosurgical team uses advanced techniques to monitor how much oxygen the brain is receiving and to induce hypothermia to minimize damage to injured brain tissue. Advanced technology and techniques are designed to improve the outcomes of those patients suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury or Spinal Cord Injury.

As the patient's potential injuries are being evaluated by the trauma team, the center's anesthesiologists are checking the airway for breathing obstructions or penetration wounds. Trauma nurses and physicians administer blood or other fluids and prepare the patient for surgery.

During the resuscitation phase, social workers at the center are called upon to help locate family members, provide emotional support to those injured during a traumatic event, assist staff members in communication with family, and help to identify unknown patients. Pastoral care, crisis and bereavement counseling are available 24-hours a day to patients, families and friends. If the patient belongs to a church or synagogue, the appropriate member of the clergy is contacted. The hospital's pastoral team also offers spiritual care and counseling in keeping with a family's values and cultural background.

Operating Suites

The Ryder Trauma Center's six operating suites are designed for multiple operating teams and equipment. One Operating Room is available at all times with an assigned team of anesthesiologists, nurses and scrub technicians to receive those patients requiring emergent surgical intervention. A team of surgeons can repair damaged blood vessels in a chest while a neurosurgery team works on a head injury, and an orthopaedics team re-sets a broken arm or leg. This multiple-team approach provides faster recovery times and promotes better outcome for patients.

For patients who prefer not to receive blood, alternative care can be provided through Jackson Memorial Hospital's Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery.

Intensive Care

After surgery, most patients stay in the center's 25-bed, Trauma Intensive Care Unit (TICU), of which 5 beds are dedicated to critically injured burn victims. In addition to the ICU, a 12 bed step-down unit for trauma patients has been added to the Ryder Trauma Center.

Two of the biggest concerns for trauma patients are infection control and nutrition. The center's physicians and staff have developed post-surgical procedures that improve outcomes in both areas. For example, the types of common bacteria in the facility are monitored and cultured on a regular basis so that if an infection occurs, the proper combination of antibiotics can be provided immediately - rather than having to wait 24 to 48 hours for a new culture from the patient. Additionally, the (TICU) team at the Ryder Trauma Center has changed the way that daily rounds are conducted.

Intensive 24 hour monitoring, assistance with bedside procedures and family support are provided by the specially trained ICU nurses. Serious wound care issues are also addressed by the center's nurses. Because of the wide range and severity of injuries, nurses working in the TICU are experts in wound care and have access to the latest types of dressings, topical antibiotics and medications that promote wound healing.

The UM/Jackson Memorial Burn Center

The UM/JM Burn Center located in the Ryder Trauma Center is one of the leading burn treatment facilities in the nation and the only such center in South Florida. In March 2008, after completing the rigorous process set forth by the American Burn Association (ABA) and American College of Surgeons, the UM/JM Burn Center received notice of successful verification by the ABA. This verification demonstrates a continued commitment to the treatment of patients suffering burn injuries and the allocation of resources necessary to ensure the best outcomes. As of today, there are only 3 ABA verified burn centers in the state of Florida.
The Burn Center provides a comprehensive team approach to the care of burn victims. The clinical team, including Burn/Trauma Surgeons, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Skilled Technicians, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Social Workers, Registered Dietitians and Psychologists provide care throughout the duration of stay for each patient.