JOPLIN, Mo.—Emergency Room staff at Freeman Hospital West were recently recognized for their successful efforts to save the life of a critically injured patient. Several clinical staff accepted the C.T. Thompson Award for Excellence in Trauma Care on behalf of the health system. Awarded by Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this award is presented annually to a health system that contributes to the care of a patient whose case exemplifies the skill, dedication, compassion, and teamwork that defines trauma care at its best.
Freeman staff received this distinction based upon the treatment provided to a male patient involved in a motor vehicle accident in 2011. The patient suffered a fractured fibula, open book pelvis fractures, bilateral pulmonary contusions, a ruptured urinary bladder, and a dislocated left shoulder. Freeman staff treated and stabilized this patient before sending him to Saint Francis Hospital where he could be in closer proximity to family. Twenty-seven days later, this patient was discharged home.
Inaugurated in 2002, the C.T. Thompson Award for Excellence in Trauma Care is named for Dr. C.T. Thompson, a now retired Saint Francis Hospital physician who recognized the need for specialized care for patients suffering serious injury. At the time, few surgeons and fewer hospitals had chosen to provide optimal specialized care for trauma victims. Dr. Thompson was instrumental in developing Saint Francis Hospital as a regional resource for specialized trauma care, as well as for fostering American College of Surgeons (ACS) commitment to improving trauma care on a national level. Dr. Thompson served as the national chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma, helped to initiate the Advanced Trauma Life Support educational program for physicians, and worked to establish standards for hospitals participating in the care of trauma patients.
“This distinction embodies the level of care and compassion Freeman Hospital West Emergency Department staff exhibit for each patient brought through our doors,” said Daxton Holcomb, Freeman Vice President of Emergency Services. “We are honored our staff were recognized with such a prestigious award.”
Freeman staff who provided lifesaving care to this particular patient include:
- Dr. Brad Coy
- Dr. Therese McBride
- Dr. Douglas McDonald
- Becky Coffey, RN
- Barbara Harris, RN
- Chris Hoag-Apel, RN
About Freeman Health System
Based in Joplin, Missouri, Freeman Health System is the area’s only locally owned, not-for-profit health system, serving southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas. Freeman provides comprehensive healthcare and behavioral health services, including cancer care, heart and vascular care, neurosciences, orthopaedics, and women’s services, with more than 300 physicians representing 60 specialties. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com or facebook.com/freemanhealthsystem, or follow Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Baker at twitter.com/freemanceo.