14th Annual Gulf Coast Trauma Symposium draws healthcare professionals
The annual symposium is hosted by the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at USA Health University Hospital in conjunction with the Alabama Gulf EMS System.
By Carol McPhail
[email protected]
More than 300 healthcare providers from across the Southeast gathered for the 14th Annual Gulf Coast Trauma Symposium March 26-28 at the Golden Nugget Biloxi Hotel & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The annual symposium, hosted by the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at USA Health University Hospital in conjunction with the Alabama Gulf EMS System, draws healthcare providers, community leaders and other stakeholders to collaborate on trauma-informed care, violence prevention, and disaster preparedness and management.
Nicole A. Stassen, M.D., a professor of surgery and pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, gave the William A.L. Mitchell Endowment Lectureship, titled “The Pebble in the Pond: The Ripple Effect of our Profession on our Lives.”
Stassen said that a lack of adequate sleep and handling stressful cases can lead to increased feelings of burnout and negative emotions. She pointed out the importance of identifying the warning signs of stress — declining job performance and changes in attitude — and the benefits of addressing them early. “There is a misconception that taking care of yourself and taking care of your patient are two conflicting things,” Stassen said. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your patient.”
Stassen is also director of the University of Rochester Surgical Critical Care Fellowship program and the Kessler Family Burn & Trauma Intensive Care Unit, and the medical director of the Kessler Trauma Center Trauma Survivors Network.
She discussed coping mechanisms to combat stress and the importance of a wellness culture. “It’s not just up to you; it’s also up to your health system,” she said. “It’s a team sport.”
Bryan A. Cotton, M.D., MPH, presented two talks, including the John Emory Campbell Lectureship, titled “Greater Than the Sum of its Parts: The Use of Whole Blood in the Resuscitation of Hemorrhage.”
Cotton is the John B. Holmes Professor in the Clinical Sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston. He serves as director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship program and co-director of the Shock-Trauma ICU at Memorial Hermann Hospital.
The symposium also featured a panel discussion on outreach and injury prevention moderated by University Hospital trauma surgeon Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., who is director of the Center for Healthy Communities at the University of South Alabama. One of the panelists, John Eads, MBA, MHA, co-founder and executive director of Light of the Village in Prichard, Alabama, spoke about his Christian ministry that seeks to help young people affected by poverty and violence.
“A good portion of the symposium is focused on violence prevention and what we can do as a community to improve,” said Jon D. Simmons, M.D., FACS, chief of the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at University Hospital. “It also provides education across the continuum for healthcare providers so that we can give every patient the best care possible.”