Kendall Regional Medical Center (KRMC), a member institution of the HCA group, became a Level I Trauma Center on May 1, 2016. Building on the success of their Level II Trauma Center for adults, KRMC is now certified to treat pediatric trauma patients aged 15 years and younger. KRMC is a 417-bed teaching hospital and one of two Level I Trauma Centers (Ryder at Jackson is the other) located in Miami-Dade County. The trauma center serves patients from as far away as Key West. Trauma surgeons speak about the “golden hour” in treating and stabilizing trauma patients. During the first 20 minutes, emergency medical personnel triage the patient according to the seriousness of their injuries, and transport the most seriously injured to the trauma center. The next 20 minutes, the patient is brought into the trauma center with the trauma team and trauma surgeon ready to evaluate the patient to identify and address the most immediate life-threatening conditions. The trauma surgeon and team then works to address these conditions (for example, stop the bleeding) and stabilize the patient during the last 20 minutes. By treating and stabilizing the patient in an hour or less, the chances of the patient’s surviving the trauma dramatically increase. Constant evaluation of the patient’s condition is also a determining factor in his/her survival. At KRMC, the attending surgeon to such a critical patient spends the night in the hospital, ready to respond to the patient’s needs immediately.
Dr. Mark McKenneyAccording to Dr. Mark McKenney, trauma surgeon and Medical Director at KRMC, trauma centers differ from emergency room procedure in that a trauma center always has a trauma surgeon, anesthesiologist, and operating room ready at all times. In cases of trauma, Dr. McKenney says, there is “the need for speed.” Trauma centers are equipped to provide specialized emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries. Essential to the operation is having a trauma surgeon at the patient’s bedside within minutes after notification of the arrival of a patient in need of a rapid assessment of injuries, which is a critical factor in successful treatment. The trauma surgeon is the captain of a trauma Team that is assembled before the patient arrives. The specialized training, experience, and skills of the center’s surgeons, physicians, nurses, and staff are responsible for saving hundreds of lives and hastening patient recoveries at every stage of the process. Providing treatment and rapid response to children under the age of 15 is essential because injury is the leading cause of their death and disability. In the Unites States each year about one in six children need emergency treatment for their injuries, and more than 10,000 children succumb to them. In order to be a Level I Trauma Center, it must be staffed 24/7 by experienced personnel trained in the management of children and have the appropriate equipment to diagnose and manage the injuries. Children are not little adults. They require specialized treatment and need to be in a family-friendly environment to aid in their recovery. KRMC provides this caliber of treatment to its pediatric patients and works to properly assess and treat the patient while striving to alleviate pain and fear of the unknown. As Dr. McKenney stated, “We are interested in quality outcomes.” One aid to the quality of those outcomes is KRMC’s Surgical Residency Program. The program began training residents in 2014. Very few hospitals in the state of Florida offer residency programs. HCA, of which KRMC is a member, ranks as the second largest provider of residency programs in the state. Residency programs help keep highly trained practitioners in the state. “I am proud of the trauma services we provide to the community as our team works hard every day to ensure that we provide the best possible care,” said Dr. Mark McKenney, director of the KRMC trauma services and general surgery residency program. KRMC provides 24-hour comprehensive medical, Levels I and II Trauma, burn, surgical, behavioral health, pediatric and diagnostic services, along with a wide range of patient and community services. The hospital continues to gather accolades for its extremely high level of quality care for all its patients. It was the first trauma center in South Florida to receive the American College of Surgeons “marker of quality” distinction two and one-half years ago. For over eight years it has earned The Distinguished Hospital Award for Overall Clinical Excellence from HealthGrades, the largest independent healthcare ratings organization in the country. KRMC is in the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical quality. It has received five-star ratings in service areas such as Stroke Care, Pulmonary Care, Cardiac Care, Gastroenterology Care, Respiratory Care, and Maternity Care. The Center has been honored by the American Heart and Stroke Association for its “Get with the Guidelines” Gold Stroke Award. And it is recognized as the top hospital in Miami-Dade County for Orthopedics. Kendall Regional Medical Center is a facility of HCA East Florida, the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). HCA East Florida has 14 hospitals, multiple ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, imaging centers and free-standing emergency care facilities, as well as a supply chain center and an integrated regional lab. Together, HCA East Florida employs more than 18,000 employees and has nearly 7,000 physicians on staff. For more information, visit Kendall Regional Medical Center is a for-profit institution that supports local efforts through charitable donations. It is located at 11750 SW 40th Street, Miami, Florida, 33175. For more information, call 305-223-3000.
