Letter from the CEO, February 2018
Honoring Our Heroes for Saving Lives
Trauma centers are vital community assets. Research shows they lower trauma-related morbidity and mortality by bringing together advanced medical resources and the personnel dedicated to the care of critically injured patients. UF Health TraumaOne is the region’s only Level I trauma center, capable of serving adult and pediatric patients and has been for more than 30 years. We serve 30 counties in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia and provide care for more than 4,000 patients every year. In addition, TraumaOne serves as a key educational and research component of the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville.
This month we hosted the 11th annual “A Night for Heroes Gala” to honor the contributions of all the people who work tirelessly to save lives in our trauma center. The event benefits UF Health TraumaOne by providing the funding to pay for lifesaving equipment and resources to comfort relatives of the trauma patients we serve. In the past decade, the gala has raised more than $1 million, greatly enhancing our trauma program.
Through UF Health TraumaOne, complex and advanced medical care is coordinated in a fiscally responsible manner. The services provided by our trauma center facilitate and improve patient care, and stimulate innovation. Currently, our emergency medicine and trauma physicians and nurses are participating in several national research studies including one working to improve post-traumatic stress syndrome and another examining the effects of blood-thinning medication on trauma patients.
It is through consistent processes and procedures — and the drive to improve — that our trauma providers are able to save the lives of patients who may not survive at other medical centers. The work accomplished at UF Health Jacksonville is indispensable and plays a major role in keeping the community healthy. It is through your commitment and medical expertise that many of our patients are able to return to their loved ones. Never doubt the importance of the impact you make on the families we serve.
Sincerely,
Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, MHSA, CPE, FACEP