Trauma Services & Injury Prevention
The Trauma Program at UHS is here for you and your family, 24 hours a day, if you ever need care for a traumatic injury or illness. You can count on our Trauma Team to respond with the latest expertise, technology and commitment to provide you with the best in diagnosis and treatment.
Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annually, approximately 1,900 injured patients arrive at UHS Wilson Medical Center’s Emergency Department to be treated for a wide range of traumatic injuries including life-threatening falls, injuries from vehicular crashes, blunt force trauma, penetrating wounds and industrial incidents. That’s a volume of 5 trauma patients per day.
The good news is that many traumatic injuries can be prevented, beginning with awareness and education. The UHS Trauma Services & Injury Prevention team is continuously studying how injuries happen and looking for ways to help prevent them. Our goal is to reduce the incidence of death and disability in our community.
Trauma Services
UHS Wilson Medical Center is a New York State-designated Level II trauma center and ACS-verified trauma program in the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania.
To earn verification, a hospital must meet more than 100 standards set forth by the ACS for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient. These rigorous, evidence-based guidelines ensure the best possible care and outcomes for trauma patients. The standards also specify the physical space and equipment required, what blood products and other specialty supplies must be available, and what specialists must staff the trauma center.
From the front door of the Emergency Department, UHS Wilson Medical Center offers prioritized specific trauma protocols to optimize the care of the injured patient. Trauma-trained nursing staff support the patients from arrival, during their recovery to discharge. Our therapy and physiatry colleagues have experience in the recovery of these injured patients.
Injury Prevention
The best way to address trauma is prevention before it happens. Public awareness is crucial to injury prevention and keeping our community healthy. Unintentional injuries are the number one cause of death for children and adults ages 1-44 in the United States.
As an ACS verified Level II Trauma Center, UHS Wilson Medical Center is leading the way in prevention efforts in areas such as fall prevention, distracted driving, car seat safety, bleeding control, and more.
We are committed to partnering with community organizations, schools, and business to offer injury prevention education.
Educational Programs
Stop the Bleed
The Stop the Bleed educational program was developed in response to violence seen at Sandy Hook and in other national tragedies.
It was developed as a cooperative effort with The Hartford Consensus, The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, The Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care, and the National Association of Emergency Technicians.
The UHS Trauma Program is proud to offer this education to community members, businesses, students and families to teach life-saving skills necessary to stop uncontrolled bleeding.
Child Car Seat Fitting and Instruction
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 13. Correctly used child safety seats can significantly reduce the risk of injury or death in children and yet only 17 percent of car seats in Broome County are being used correctly.
UHS teams up with the Broome County Traffic Safety Education Program to offer Child Passenger Safety Programs that can guide parents and caregivers about the safest ways to transport their children. We examine child and infant seats to ensure proper fit in the car, the seat is appropriate for the specific child, and teach parents how to safely harness the child in the seat.
Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention
UHS partners with the Broome County Office for Aging to bring this program to area senior centers, free of charge.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three adults over the age of 65 fall each year. Treatment of injuries due to falls is the most expensive health cost, estimated 2015 by CDC to be 31 billion dollars per year in USA.
With regular practice, Tai Chi improves balance by strengthening muscles and coordination. At the same time, it strengthens the mind, thereby improving calmness and confidence in not falling. Thus, both physically and mentally, tai chi is an extremely effective exercise for fall prevention.
AARP Smart Driver™ Course
This is a six-hour course taught anywhere in the Broome County, usually senior centers, but is also available to be offered on site at UHS.
The program is not only for older drivers, but any driver to review safe driving and get an insurance discount. Topics include changing roads, changing vehicles, changing health, and navigating those and other changes.
When you take the AARP Smart Driver course, you could be eligible for a multi-year discount on your auto insurance. Safer driving can save you more than just money. The course teaches proven driving techniques to help keep you and your loved ones safe on the road.
AARP CarFit for Older Adults
UHS teams up with the Broome County Traffic Safety Education Program to provide our community with AARP CarFit education.
Older drivers are more physically fragile than their younger counterparts, and they're generally less able to withstand the impact of a vehicular accident. Fortunately, there are ways for drivers to adapt to their cars — and adjust their "fit" within them — in order to reduce their risk of injury during a crash.
CarFit, a free educational program created by the American Society on Aging and developed in collaboration with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, helps address these safety concerns.
IMPACT Teen Driving
IMPACT Teen Driving’s mission is to develop, promote, and facilitate evidence-based education and strategies to save lives and reduce injuries and fatalities caused by reckless and distracted driving. In this high-energy and interactive program, organizers share real stories that connect with teens, empowering them with evidence-based strategies to keep themselves and others safe.
This educational program delivers statistics and facts about reckless and distracted driving in a creative and effective manner. Through our engage, educate, and empower approach we encourage teens to take the lead in peer-to-peer messaging in their schools and communities
Battle of the Belts/Traffic Safety
UHS Trauma Services partners with the Broome County Traffic Safety Education Program to educate middle and high school students about seatbelt use, providing a competition to engage the youth and demonstrate how quick a seat belt can be used.
The team speaks with students about the devastating effects of traffic crashes and how the use of seat belts can save lives.
Students participate in "Battle of the Belts," a fun competition to see who can buckle their seat belts the fastest.
Post-Trauma Support
Survive. Connect. Rebuild.
The Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) is a community for survivors and their families to connect and rebuild after a traumatic physical injury.
Get Support
Meet the Team
Trauma Care Providers
Mark Brennan, DO
Trauma Surgery
Catherine M Dickinson, MD
Trauma Surgery
Christopher Engler, DO
Trauma Surgery
Curtis Frederick, MD
General Surgery
Anishur Rahman, DO, MD
Trauma Surgery
Sandeep Sirsi, MD
Trauma Surgery
Michael Aronis, MD, FACS
Trauma Surgery
Katherine Nichols, MS, PA-C
Trauma Surgery
Lauren Notchick, MS, PA-C
Trauma Surgery
