Trauma Communication Center
THE RIGHT PATIENT TO THE RIGHT HOSPITAL AT THE RIGHT TIME
Oregon - National Leader in Trauma Strategy
25 years ago Oregon became the second state in the nation to establish a trauma system designed to triage, treat, and track seriously injured patients. The Trauma Communication Center located in Portland, OR plays a pivotal role relaying information between first responders in the field and receiving hospitals.
Coordinated Care Saves Lives
The Trauma Communication Center monitors the status of the two Portland Level 1 trauma centers, OHSU and Legacy Emanuel. We direct ambulances to the right hospital based on
- scene location
- hospital status
- number of injured patients
If one facility is on divert we send the patient to the other trauma center. For 3 or more victims, we distribute the patients to avoid hospital overload.
When the Outcome is Life or Death - Minutes Count
Critical injuries demand an immediate response.
- We have a dedicated 800 MHz trauma channel and recorded telephone line.
- We provide one contact point for paramedics and trauma teams.
- We get the most information with the least number of questions.
- We given crucial updates to the receiving hospital.
- We page out the OHSU trauma teams.
- We activate the OHSU helipad.
Statewide Trauma Registry
Every radio or phone call into the Trauma Communication Center is on a recorded line. We document every patient entry in our secure database. We collect information on:
- scene location
- time of incident
- EMS response
- type of accident
- patient information
- types of injuries, medical interventions
Researchers use our data to
- study trauma system effectiveness
- analyze trial medications
- recommend quality control and improvement
Our History at OHSU
In 1987 the Emergency Communication Center was selected to be the Trauma Communication Center for Region 1, the Portland Metropolitan area and Southwest Washington. Every year thousands of trauma system entries are made through the Trauma Communication Center to Oregon's Level 1 trauma centers.
