Department of Acute Care Surgery
About
Program Overview
Carilion is proud to have been one of the first Level I trauma centers in Virginia, and we continue to provide comprehensive access to trauma services. Our board-certified surgeons are specialized in surgical intensive care and are highly experienced in treating critically ill patients. Our trauma team includes specialists in Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, head and neck surgery, plastics and reconstruction, cardiothoracic surgery and ECMO, wound care, pain management and medical hospitalist services. If a patient is admitted to the hospital, an individual plan of care is developed by the trauma team, which consists of nurses; trauma surgeons; case managers; advanced practice nurses; physician assistants; physical, occupational and speech therapists; nutritionists; respiratory therapists; clinical pharmacists; rehab physicians and social workers. It is our goal to provide close integration and management of patient progress from time of injury to hospital discharge, and through the rehabilitation phases of care.
Our Carilion New River Valley Medical Center also serves as a trauma center for the region and is designated as a Level Ill facility.
CRMH is a designated Level 1 Trauma Center, and for over 35 years has provided the highest designation of trauma care.
Virginia Tech Carilion Partnership
Each year, VTCSOM medical students partner with our section of Acute Care Surgery to complete research. Since the inception of the medical school, over a dozen peer-reviewed manuscripts have been completed through this collaboration. In addition, all members of our section contribute to the education of the medical students during all four years of the education curriculum, including anatomy, case studies, and third- and fourth-year clerkships. Mentoring into surgical residency is also a focus for medical students.
Mission, Goals and Strengths
With a Level 1 Trauma Center, we are a regional resource providing the highest level of specialized trauma and critical care services to the Roanoke Valley and surrounding rural areas, supported by three Life-Guard helicopters for rapid response.
We’re prepared to treat the most critically ill and injured with a team of trauma/critical care surgeons, emergency room physicians and all other surgical specialists that are required to provide the very best care in a narrow window of time.
Message from Leadership
Department specs
Program Size
- 7 full-time, acute-care surgeons
- 12 surgeons dedicated to trauma and emergency general surgery
- 11 physician assistants/nurse practitioners dedicated to acute care surgery 365 days a year
- 1 dedicated trauma prevention and community outreach personnel
- 4 dedicated registered nurses to the trauma program and the quality initiative
Volume of Procedures
- Approximately 3,000 trauma patients per year; ~10% penetrating trauma
- Approximately 2,600 emergency general surgery patients per year
- Approximately 1,300 surgical critical care patients per year
Quality Measures
- 4 dedicated registered nurses focus on the everyday operations and quality of the Trauma Program.
- Daily, weekly and monthly meetings center on trauma patient outcomes that include infectious and non-infectious complications, mortalities and any other opportunities that arise for improvement spanning pre-hospital to post-discharge phases of care.
Clinical Interests
- Resuscitation
- Coagulopathy and thromboelastography
- Venous thromboembolism
- Ultrasound in the trauma bay and ICU
- Palliative care
Conditions Treated
- Amputations
- Bone and joint fractures
- Brain and spine trauma
- Crush injury
- Facial trauma
- Hemorrhage
- Organ injuries
- Respiratory failure
- Vascular trauma
Areas We Serve
- Southwest Virginia
- Bordering West Virginia
- Bordering North Carolina
Faculty
Education
Overview
The section of Acute Care Surgery is deeply invested in education. Each Tuesday at 1 p.m., a surgical critical care/trauma session is held. Lecturers span from the acute care surgeons to other practitioners throughout the hospital system, including nephrologists, oncologists and palliative services to name a few. In addition, monthly Trauma/EM resuscitation conference and EM/Critical Care conference are held on the third and fourth Thursdays respectively. Finally, 3-6 dedicated Surgical Grand Rounds per year are focused on Acute Care Surgery topics. Both internal and external speakers are solicited for these educational opportunities.
In addition to the General Surgery Residency that includes five residents per year, the section of Acute Care Surgery leads a one-year Surgical Critical Care Fellowship for physicians, and a one-year Acute Care Surgery Fellowship for N.P.s and P.A.s.
