South Central Regional Trauma Advisory Council (SCRTAC)
Executive Council Meeting
October 22, 2015 6-8PM
Middleton EMS, 2020 Parmenter St, Middleton, WI
*** Minutes ***
1) Welcome and introductions: The following members were in attendance:
a) Dan Williams, SCRTAC Coordinator, Madison FD
b) Suresh Agarwal, UW Health Trauma
c) Drew Dean, Beloit Memorial Hospital
d) Chris Walters, Paratech Ambulance, Lebanon EMS
e) John Rago, Baraboo EMS
f) Laura Stichter, Arena EMS
g) Becky Turpin, UW Health Trauma Injury Prevention
h) Ben Eithun, American Family Children’s Hospital, Trauma Coordinator
i) Jennifer Lorenz, Beloit Memorial Hospital, Trauma Coordinator
j) Wendi Stitzer, Gundersen Boscobel Hospital, Trauma Coordinator (participated via
teleconference).
k) Excused (out-of-state): Lori McKibben, Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, Trauma
Coordinator
2) Approval of the August 19, 2015 SCRTAC Executive Council meeting minutes:
a) Motion by John Rago, 2nd by Ben Eithun: Unanimous approval.
3) SCRTAC Treasurer’s report: (Williams for McKibben)
a) SCRTAC Contract Budget 2015-2016: $38,551 (Fully funded)
b) SCRTAC Checking Account: $14,146.94
c) Current contract/funds availability status: The contract between the State DHS and our
Fiscal Agent (Meriter) has not yet been signed by both parties. Therefore, we are not yet
able to request reimbursement, etc.
d) Motion to approve the Treasurer’s report: Motion by John Rago, 2nd by Ben Eithun:
Unanimous approval.
4) SCRTAC Updates:
a) SCRTAC Current Initiatives
i) Car Seats for EMS (Turpin):
(1) All car-seats already purchased have been delivered or are already spoken for.
(2) New car seat purchases to continue the initiative have been requested by the IP
Committee.
(a) Funds to purchase new car seats are not able to be requested of the fiscal agent
until the contract between WI DHS and Meriter is signed by both parties.
(3) The IP Committee would like to develop an incentive program for EMS
providers, where they would be rewarded for proper use of a car seat in an
ambulance (child properly restrained).
(a) Positive reinforcement
(b) ER Staff would submit a ‘check-list’ type document indicating
proper/improper child restraint during transport.
(c) RTAC recognition of the EMS responders that are noted as having properly
restrained a child during transport.
(4) There may be EMSC funding available for continuing this initiative.
ii) State Falls Website (Turpin)
(1) Because of a probable breach of contract by the website designer, the situation has
been elevated to the legal department at UW Hospital.
(a) Deliverables not met.
(b) Web-designer no longer returning emails, calls, etc.
iii) Tourniquets for EMS and LE (Williams)
(1) EMS: Every 911 transporting ambulance in our region is reportedly equipped
with a tourniquet device. Most agencies were equipped through the RTAC
initiative. This is a HUGE accomplishment that for which we as a region should
be very proud.
(2) EMS: Most centrally responding EMR (1st Responder) agencies have been
equipped with a tourniquet device and trained through the RTAC initiative. Only
a few agencies chose not to participate. Again, a HUGE accomplishment.
(3) Law Enforcement: Williams has just completed the SCRTAC Tourniquet
Initiative for LE.
(a) 234 of our region’s police officers have been equipped and trained by the
SCRTAC.
(i) 28 of our regions’ Police Departments participated in this year’s initiative,
equipping every full-time patrol officer and patrol sergeant.
(b) 389 of our region’s Sheriff Deputies were trained and equipped by the
SCRTAC last year.
(i) Every county Sheriff Dept participated in the program, with every patrol
officer and patrol sergeant receiving a tourniquet and training.
(c) Williams thanked the Executive Council for supporting this initiative. He is
excited to report that our region has already seen multiple lives saved by these
trained and equipped responders as a result of our efforts. He is further
excited to see the new energized engagement of Law Enforcement to not only
respond to EMS calls, but to provide life-saving care. A true win for our
regional trauma system.
iv) Trauma Care Beyond the ED (Williams/Lorenz)
(1) December 3rd, Epic Campus, Kohoutek Building, Festival room.
(2) Set-up is at 0700 on the 3rd. Executive Council members are asked to support the
conference by assisting during set-up/registration, during the day, and with cleanup.
v) Skiing/snowboarding/sledding helmet initiative (Williams/Eithun/Turpin)
(1) Eithun gave a status update on the initiative
(a) Three hills have been identified as possible participants (Cascade, Devils
Head, and Tyrol Basin)
(b) A work-group comprised of Williams, Eithun, Turpin, Jima Savage from the
Kohl Safety Center, and Nicole Vesely from Safe Kids is working on the
initiative.
(2) Liability questions: Is there liability to the SCRTAC with this initiative? If so,
would a liability release be effective?
(a) Dr. Agarwal thought UW Hospital legal could offer a legal opinion.
(3) We need to have a good understanding of the ski hills needs, concerns, and
limitations are before moving forward.
(a) Eithun and Williams hope to travel to the hills to meet with hill staff to better
explain our intentions, and to understand the needs, concerns, and limitations
of each hill.
vi) Trauma Basics (Williams)
(1) Williams shared that several of the other regional coordinators are looking to put
the Trauma Basics program on hold for a year. This is due to several new
endeavors, including development of the HCC in each region, patient tracking
initiatives for EMS, and trauma registry changes. They are concerned about
having enough protected time to personalize, prepare, travel to/from, and deliver
the program. These are real concerns.
(a) Williams continues to feel the program is a valuable tool to bring the RTAC
and the regional trauma system out to the EMS responders.
(2) The Trauma Basics program will be re-evaluated after several RTAC and HCC
mandates/priorities are met.
5) SCRTAC Proposed projects/initiatives/trainings/spending considerations:
a) Trauma kits and training:
i) Supporting programs that provide trauma medical equipment and training for public
access: Schools, public buildings, places of large gathering, malls, etc.
(1) Several programs are currently underway in the SCRTAC:
(a) Mercy: Rock County schools
(b) Beloit Memorial: Beloit schools
ii) This supports the Presidential Stop-the-Bleed initiative by training and equipping the
“first care provider” (vs. the first responder).
b) Car Safety Seats for EMS: Purchasing of additional seats to expand the program.
c) Car Safety Seats for EMS: Providing rewards to EMS providers who properly restrain
pediatric patients during transport (a means of positive reinforcement).
d) 43rd Annual Rocky Mountain Trauma and Emergency Medicine Conference: June 15-18,
2016.
e) Point / Counter-Point for EMS: Provide trauma education and best practice discussions in a
point/counter-point format.
f) ATLS: For Physicians in the region. There is a potential problem with the number of
available classes.
g) Trauma Education for Clinic MDs: Clinic MDs do see trauma, and will see significant
trauma in a MCI. How can we provide education that will help these MDs provide best care
to trauma patients?
h) EMS Medical Director Education: Best practices in trauma care are constantly changing, but
the protocols of many EMS agencies are not reflecting these changes. We can provide
education to help influence best practice changes to trauma related protocols.
6) South Central Health Care Coalition updates (Eithun)(Williams)
a) BP3 Carryover funding availability: SCRTAC funding needs/requests (EMS)(Williams)
i) Williams shared his request of the State HCC and RTAC Coordinators staff to fund a
state-wide tourniquet initiative to equip and train EVERY law enforcement officer in
the state with a tourniquet device.
ii) Other brainstormed ideas included:
(1) Car seats for EMS
(2) State-wide burn plan
7) SCRTAC EMS representative to the SCHCC Executive Committee (Nominations & Election)
a) Nominations included John Rago, Josh Kowalke and Darin Gudgeon
b) Written ballot election was conducted: John Rago was elected.
8) SCRTAC Medical Oversight Committee
a) Williams shared the discussion from the last SCRTAC General Membership meeting
regarding the development of a SCRTAC Medical Oversight Committee.
b) Dr. Agarwal feels the voice of medical oversight for the region should come from the Level 1
Trauma Center.
c) Walters reminded the council that the committee would have to be an ad-hoc, as it is not
currently established in the SCRTAC bylaws. He further expressed concerns over consistent
representation by all levels of providers.
d) The council concluded that a formal committee will not be established at this time. Rather,
the SCRTAC Executive Council will serve as the medical oversight voice. There is
representation of physicians, trauma coordinators, and EMS on the Executive Council, and
there is representation of all levels of Trauma Centers.
i) Williams will bring medical questions and concerns from the membership to the
council as needed.
9) Trauma Education Offerings/Postings: Posted on the SCRTAC website.
10) SCRTAC 2015-2016 Goals: (This Agenda item was merged into item #5 above)
a) Trauma Education
b) Injury Prevention
c) Process Improvement
d) Other
11) Case Reviews: next steps
a) The Council supports case reviews in our region
i) As a system, we can learn how we can become better
(1) In a safe and open sharing environment
b) UW Hospital has a template that they use for trauma case reviews. Dr. Agarwal will submit
this template to Williams for use in our SCRTAC case reviews.
c) The Council hopes to have case reviews begin in 2016.
12) Other:
a) UW Health representatives on the SCRTAC Executive Council (Agarwal)
i) The Council discussed the number of representatives that fall under the UW Health
umbrella, and how this relates to SCRTAC Council composition, bylaws, voting, etc.
(1) HFS 118 states that no more than 50% of the council can be composed from
representatives of the same parent organization.
(2) Laura Stichter is on the Council representing Arena EMS as a Basic EMT. She
also works at UW Hospital / American Family Children’s Hospital as a
respiratory Therapist for the Children’s’ Hospital Emergency Transport
Ambulance (CHETA).
(3) Even counting Laura as UW Health employee, the 50% maximum outlined in
HFS 118 is not met (5/11), so this should not be of concern. Stichter advised that
should the situation arise, she would consider abstaining from any votes that had
UW Health related impact.
b) SWOT Analysis for Regional Trauma Plan (Williams)
i) As part of the annual SCRTAC Regional Trauma Plan contract objective, a SWOT
analysis / needs assessment must be conducted. Williams will be putting this together
for a future meeting.
c) MD1: Dr. Agarwal inquired about the recent STAC discussions of MD1, the physician
response unit(s) in Rock and Walworth Counties.
i) Williams informed the group that he has not received any complaints or concerns.
ii) Williams advised that Dr. MacNeal has been open with Williams and the SCRTAC
about the MD1 vehicle and its use. (He gave Williams a tour of the vehicle and its
equipment).
iii) Ben Eithun advised that MacNeal is scheduled to discuss MD1 at the SERTAC
meeting. The SE region appears to be the area where people have
questions/concerns. Eithun will share any pertinent info with the EC at the next
meeting.
iv) MacNeal has offered to discuss the MD1 program with the SCRTAC at a future
meeting if so desired.
13) Next Meeting: Set meeting schedule vs. bi-monthly Doodle Poll; MD participation
considerations:
a) Discussion took place attempting to identify a common meeting day/time that all members
could participate. Unfortunately, no time was able to be identified. Dr. Agarwal has clinical
commitments until late afternoon; some have restraints that make them unavailable after 45PM.
b) Williams will evaluate the current State Trauma Calendar, HCC calendar, and SCRTAC GM
Calendar to attempt to identify a recurring date every other month that could work for the
group.
c) Next meeting date TBD
14) Adjournment: Motion by Ben Eithun, 2nd by Chris Walters: Unanimous approval.