Memorial Health celebrates Trauma Awareness Month

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)-It is the leading cause of death in people under the age of 44, traumatic injury.

That’s why Trauma Awareness Month is so important for Memorial Health health professionals.

“I think trauma awareness month is important because not only will it help educate the public on the issue of trauma in general, but it will also help us to also highlight aspects of trauma injury prevention, ”said James Dunne, Chief of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care at Memorial Health.

Dunne has always dealt with patients on some of the worst days of their lives.

From traumatic brain injuries, life -threatening chest injuries or complex orthopedic injuries, it is often difficult for doctors ’mental health but is very important in meeting the needs of patients in emergency situations.

“Critical care and trauma medicine, unfortunately, has a high burn rate from health care providers because you’re dealing with the most ill-fated patients and sometimes it’s about 18- old children, “Dunne said. “A lot of us are married or have kids of our own and that’s probably the hardest thing if you do everything right and the patient still can’t do it and it’s the same age as your son or daughter.”

Memorial Health currently operates as a level one trauma center, meaning there is a certified trauma surgeon on-site 24/7 in the event of an emergency, as well as an open operating room to ensure those patients in need of critical care care receive immediately.

“Trauma centers are exceptional facilities because they have the resources to care for the seriously and critically injured immediately. We have an in-house team 24/7 on standby, ready to receive the critical injured trauma patient, ”Dunne said.

With most of the many casualties seen in the country recently, doctors say they will drill two to three times a year if such a scenario occurs here in Savannah.