About Emergency and Trauma Services

 

Emergency and Trauma Services Health Care Experts are Available to Knoxville Residents

 

The UT Medical Center’s Emergency and Trauma Services is the only Level I Trauma Center in the area for adults and children and serves as the tertiary referral center for medical care in East Tennessee, serving Knox County and 21 surrounding counties. The healthcare experts in the Emergency Department treat more than 60,000 patients each year with a commitment to individualized patient and family centered care and teamwork.

Whether arriving by ambulance, LIFESTAR or private vehicle, patients receive a full range of medical care. The facility is comprised of four areas: a trauma bay for the most seriously injured or ill patients; an emergent treatment area for those with a potentially serious problem;. a rapid evaluation and treatment area (REnT) for the less ill and injured; and Fast-track area for those with minor illness or injury.

• About the Emergency Department
• About the Trauma Center
• Pastoral Care
• H.A.B.I.T. Program

^ TOP About the Emergency Department

UT Medical Center’s Emergency Department treats more than 5,000 patients each month. The Emergency Department serves as the tertiary referral center for emergency medical care in East Tennessee, serving Knox County and 21 surrounding counties.

A dedicated staff of emergency medicine professionals composed of attending adult and pediatric emergency medicine physicians, midlevel practitioners (nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants), emergency nurses, technicians, and clerical personnel provides care. The full-time emergency medicine staff oversees the education and training of residents. An additional emergency medical service that impacts Emergency Medicine is LIFESTAR, the medical center’s Aeromedical Services division.

^ TOP About the Trauma Center

UT Medical Center’s Trauma Center has been continuously designated as a Level I Trauma Center—the highest designation available—by the state of Tennessee since 1988. This means that from admission to discharge, you will be cared for by a team of specially trained personnel to meet your on-going and changing needs. As the regionalized trauma system has matured, the number of injured patients treated at UT Medical Center has increased. In fact, 2010 was a record-setting year with 4,033 injured patients admitted. A third of the trauma patients admitted to the medical center are so severely injured that they require a stay in the ICU. The two most common causes of injury in 2010 were falls (33 percent) and falls (31 percent).

UT Medical Center provides more than just trauma care, it provides a safety net that cares for patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Its available resources such as operating rooms, lab and radiologic capabilities, intensive care units and professional personnel are in-house and available on a moments notice to care for the injured. These resources are available to care for patients with ruptured aneurysms, cardiac emergencies, strokes and other time-limited, life-threatening emergencies—in addition to those affected by natural or man-made disasters.

The  trauma leader is the trauma surgeon who supervises and coordinates the patient’s care. The trauma suregeon may consult specialty physicians such as a neurosurgeon, an orthopedic surgeon or a maxillofacial or plastic surgeon.

After evaluation in the Emergency Department, critical trauma patients then are transported to the 32-bed Surgical Critical Care Unit (SCC). In the surgical critical care unit, the patient is further evaluated and additional procedures are completed such as follow up X-rays, suturing, splinting and observation. Critically injured patients are complex and challenging. They often require massive fluid and blood resuscitation, ventilation, dialysis, early nutrition and multiple procedures. The SCC is staffed with experienced critical care nurses, respiratory therapists, nursing technicians, rehabilitation specialists, pharmacists and secretaries.

UT Medical Center is a teaching hospital and uses a team approach to trauma care. Daily rounds made by a team of resident physicians, students and nurses are led by attending physicians who discuss the care and progress of trauma patients and ensure the most comprehensive care. The staff of the Trauma Center will work with the patients and family to provide individualized care and meet individual needs in any way possible. Provisions will be made for family comfort as well as environmental, social and spiritual needs.

Trauma Stepdown is referred to as 10 East. This is a 30-bed telemetry unit located on 10th floor of the east pavilion  providing the highest level care required by the complex trauma patient and their family. The staff consists of trauma trained professional nurses, certified nursing assistants, and unit secretaries. They are part of the multidisciplinary team consisting of nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, dieticians, physical therapists, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, trauma nurse specialists, case managers and pastoral care, who specialize not only in the care of the trauma patient but also their rehabilitation.

The Orthopedic Trauma unit is referred to as 5 East because it is located on the 5th floor of the east pavillion. It is a 30-bed unit that uses a multidisciplinary approach in the care of trauma patients with orthopedic injuries. The nursing staff works closely with the orthopedic surgeons of Orthopedic Associates of Knoxville as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutritional support and other services to provide the best possible care to these patients.

Rehabilitation for the trauma patient begins shortly after admission, often times in the critical care unit. The patient is evaluated by a rehabilitation team consisting of a nurse, physical medicine and rehabilitation physician and representatives from physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology and dietary services. Individualized treatment plans are developed and initiated as soon as medically appropriate.

Referral to local inpatient rehabilitation facilities such as the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center is arranged as soon as appropriate. Outpatient rehabilitation is available at UT Medical Center

^ TOP Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is available for trauma patients and their families 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They are happy to be asked to visit with the patient or asked as a consult regarding the patient and/or family. A chaplain is on-call at all times and may be reached through a nurse or the hospital telephone switchboard. The Absher Chapel is open 24 hours a day for prayer and meditation.

^ TOP H.A.B.I.T. Program

H.A.B.I.T. stands for Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee. It is a group of trained volunteers with medically and behaviorally screened animals involved in pet visitation in the hospital setting. Currently, the animals and volunteers visit the Trauma Center and Neuro Intensive Care Unit waiting areas as well as 5 East and 10 East.