Georgia Trauma Commission reports statewide quality gains; South Georgia Medical Center case highlights rural system benefits

The Georgia Trauma Commission reported improved statewide trauma outcomes after a multi‑year drive to secure American College of Surgeons (ACS) consultative visits and verification for level 1 and 2 trauma centers. Commission leaders told the Public Health Committee the initiative coincided with measurable improvements in risk‑adjusted hospital event metrics between 2015 and 2023.

At the committee meeting, Dr. Ashley (presenting for the commission) said the number of trauma centers in Georgia rose from about 15 in 2008 to 35 in 2025, reducing white (unserved) areas on access maps measured by 60‑minute ground transport times. She described a statewide quality improvement collaborative formed in 2012 and said the commission required level 1 and 2 centers to begin ACS consultative visits and later to achieve verification; failure to verify could affect legislative funding tied to the commission.

Emily Brown, director of trauma and emergency medical services at South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC Health) in Valdosta, described a recent case the hospital treated to illustrate how the system works in a rural setting. SGMC is a state‑designated level 3 trauma center that serves about 1,589 square miles and roughly 60,000 people; the facility reported about 1,700 trauma activations annually.

Brown said a 58‑year‑old male passenger in a severe roadside collision arrived at SGMC after a rural crash with extensive intrusion into the vehicle. The patient arrived at 8:56 a.m. after emergency services activated the trauma team at 8:16. The patient suffered multiple liver and spleen lacerations, a right kidney laceration and blood in the chest; he lost a pulse about 17 minutes after arrival and CPR and massive transfusion were performed. The team regained a pulse about 18 minutes later.

Emily Brown said the patient was unstable for ground transfer after CT and attempts to secure air transport were repeatedly canceled because of weather and mechanical issues. SGMC surgeons performed damage‑control laparotomy, removed the spleen, repaired liver lacerations, packed the abdomen and left it open for later definitive surgery. The hospital gave 67 units of blood products (about three times the patient’s estimated total blood volume) while he was there. The patient remained at SGMC about eight and a half hours before transfer to a level 1 trauma center; he underwent multiple subsequent surgeries, was discharged after about 45 days, transferred for rehabilitation and returned to work April 6, 2024, per the presentation.

Dr. Ashley told the committee the statewide requirement for ACS consultative and verification visits was feasible and that pooled quality metrics improved: “red to black is a positive,” she said, referencing earlier risk‑adjusted reports that showed poor performance and later improvement. The commission is preparing a manuscript describing the statewide process and results for peer‑reviewed publication.

Commission leaders described ancillary benefits including a “halo effect” in which all centers’ reports improved after the initiative began; two hospitals voluntarily “right‑sized” from level 2 to level 3 to match resources and maintain high performance. Brown said SGMC introduced a mass transfusion protocol, preplaced blood products in the trauma bay to eliminate turnaround time, and trained EMS to start blood in the field — steps she credited for the patient’s survival.

Captain Bridal, the patient at the center of the case SGMC presented, attended the committee meeting and spoke about his recovery. “Emily, she saved my life,” he told members, and later said he had returned to flying and motorcycle riding the year after his crash.

Committee members asked operational questions about statewide coordination. Dr. Ashley said Georgia does not currently operate a state‑level real‑time hospital availability/ diversion system; she said other states have such coordination tools and that the commission supports moving in that direction. Legislators and commission members discussed ongoing pilot efforts to place blood products on EMS units and expand critical care transport capabilities.

The presentation concluded with lawmakers thanking trauma center staff and EMS partners for the work and noting the statewide initiative reduced unserved areas and improved frontline care in rural communities. No committee action or vote was taken on the presentation itself.