Meeting

This workshop brought together stakeholders from across the private sector and federal, state, and local governments to examine the potential benefits and possible pitfalls of organizing regional systems of emergency care. The workshop explored the history and lessons learned by organized trauma systems across the country, as well as trauma systems developed by the U.S. military. It then examined new models of regional emergency care that are being developed to care for patients with cardiac arrest and stroke, and for pediatric patients and others. The workshop examined the features of regionalization that can make it an effective strategy for improving operational efficiency and enhancing patient care, as well as the features that might produce unintended consequences for the overall health care system.

This workshop was structured so that formal PowerPoint presentations were minimized in favor of active audience engagement. It promoted interactive exchange among and between the panelists and workshop participants. Attendees prepared to actively participate in the meeting, rather than passively listen to a series of lectures. The audience was comprised of the major stakeholder groups in emergency care, including professional societies, hospitals and hospital groups, health plans, associations, patient advocates, and individual providers, as well as officials from various branches and all levels of government.