The Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) is a program developed by the ATS that is designed to fill a critically important gap in the services now available to trauma patients and their families

• Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability for children and young adults below the age of 45
• Each year 170,000 die of an injury
• 1.6 million people are hospitalized
• Trauma related conditions rank among the 3 most costly medical conditions in the US
• Motor vehicle crashes and falls are principal causes

• Trauma systems reduce mortality by 25%
• But long term functional outcomes are not always optimal: among over 2,000 working people studied nationwide, only 50% were back to work at 1 year post injury
• The physical injury was not always the reason for poor outcome: anxiety, depression and lack of self confidence and good social support often got in the way of a good recovery

• TSN is designed to help trauma patients and families survive, connect and rebuild
• TSN is committed to:
Providing practical every-day information
Providing supportive social networks
Empowering patients and their families
Facilitating peer support and mentoring
Enhancing survivor skills
Improving quality of life

• The Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) was developed by the ATS in collaboration with consumers, scientists and clinician experts in trauma care
• Five Main components:
– Handbook for patients & family
– 2nd Trauma Program for providers
– Website for information & social networking
– Peer visitor programs for mentoring
– Support groups and NextSteps program for learning self-management skills

• A Handbook for Patients and their Families – customizable for your hospital
• Access to the TSN website
• Training and materials you need to establish:
– Peer mentoring program
– Peer support groups
– The Nextsteps self management program
– The 2nd Trauma program for providers
• Ongoing support and help from the ATS

• Introduces the family to the TSN
• Provides practical information about the trauma center and what to expect in the hours and days after the injury
• Encourages families and their loved ones to ask questions

• The “2nd Trauma” is the shock, grief and fear families experience
• Caring for the family goes hand in hand with caring for the patient
• 2nd Trauma designed to help providers better communicate with and support families
• A DVD & book made available to help hospitals train providers

• For Patients and their Families
– Access the ‘Traumapedia’
– Keep family members in the loop
– Join an on-line community forum
– Sign up for peer visitation, peer support group or
NextSteps classes
– Give back: volunteer and contribute

• For Trauma Providers
– Manage the TSN programs
– Link up with other TSN programs
– Develop local networks of survivors and families

• Goal is to link trauma survivors with experienced mentors who can share experiences in recovery and encourage the patient to continue to move forward
• Materials available for hospitals:
– Train the Trainers Manual
– Peer Visitor’s Handbook

• Few things are more helpful than being around others who have had similar experiences support groups help survivors connect
• An 8-part self management course, NextSteps, helps survivors become more active and take control of their recovery
• Training provided through
ATS:
– Participant Handbook
– Self Management Leader’s
Manual

• The TSN Implementation
Guide
– Introduction
– Getting Started
– Making the Most of the
TSN Website
– Customizing the Handbook
– Promoting the TSN
– Starting a Peer Visitation
Program
– Running a Peer Support
Group
– Leading a NextSteps Class

• Brochures and posters
• Business cards for your
TSN Coordinator
• Slide presentations
• TSN logo you can use to develop your own promotional materials
• A video about the TSN
(coming soon !)

• Improving SKILLS and survivor satisfaction
• Networking to CONNECT AND REBUILD
– Social healing via a secure on-line community
– Engaging a peer visitor as mentor
– Participating in NextSteps self management classes
• GIVING BACK and helping others
– Joining a peer support group
– Becoming a peer mentor
– Creating awareness

• Better CARE and outcomes for patients and families
• Improved SATSIFACTION of their patients and families
• Increased ADVOCACY for trauma systems and injury prevention, locally and nationally
• Increased opportunities for PHILANTHROPY

C ARE
A DVOCACY
P HILANTHROPY
S ATSIFACTION
Implement the TSN in your hospital and become one of a growing number of TSN CAPS tone hospitals that are setting the standard for trauma center care in the future

• 3-year scientific study is funded by CDC and implemented at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center
• To be evaluated
– Use of the TSN components
– Satisfaction and self perceived benefits
– Quality of Life outcomes
• 600 patients total will be enrolled and followed at 6 months

• Producing a DVD about the TSN
• Developing a Guide for Building a Network of Advocates
• The NextSteps Self Management
Program available on-line in
2009
• A self management program for
FAMILIES is under development
• Fundraising and development
• We need your suggestions and help: success depends on active partnership between trauma centers and the ATS

• TSN Core Development Team:
– Anna Bradford
– Renan Castillo
– Tony Carlini
– Katherine Frey
– Ellen MacKenzie
– Scott Shields
– Harry Teter
– Steve Wegener
• The Board of Directors of the ATS:
– John Ashworth, Chairman of the Board

• Our Funders and Benefactors:
– The Centers for Disease Control (Grants
H28/CCH324827-01 and R49 CE001003)
– The Psalm 103 Foundation
– Stryker Orthopaedics
– The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.
– The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy

• Website Design and
Development
– Michelle Williamson
Project Lead, Art Direction,
Interactive Design
Command Create, Inc.
www.commandcreate.com
San Francisco, CA
– Nichole Girard
Interactive Design
Los Angeles, CA
– Alain Bloch
Software Development
Portland, OR
• Graphic Design of Print
Materials
– Fiona Lawrence
Fiona Lawrence Design,
Inc.
mail@fionalawrence.com
New Paltz, NY

• Our Inaugural TSN Hospitals
– INOVA REGIONAL TRAUMA CENTER
Samir M. Fakhry, MD, FACS
– VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
John A. Morris, Jr., MD, FACS
– UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND R ADAMS COWLEY
SHOCK TRAUMA CENTER
Thomas M. Scalea, MD, FACS
Andrew N. Pollak, MD

• Our Survivor and Family Advisors:
– Robert G. Baldassari (from Fairfax, VA)
– Adam Blomberg, MD (from Boston, MA)
– Brenda Breitenbach (from Severna Park, MD)
– Pam Bryan (from Madison, TN)
– Sherry Chapman (from Coventry, CT)
– Carrie Krug, DPT (from Baltimore, MD)
– Scott Shields, M.B.A. (from Upper Marlboro, MD)
– Steve Wilkinson (from Miami, FL)