2009 INTERNATIONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL Co-Sponsored By: ¾ Ben Taub General Hospital (BTGH) Trauma Services (TS) ¾ Alumni = Wesleyan University-Philippines Nursing Alumni Association USA Texas Chapter (WU-PNAA, USA, TC) ¾ PNAA = Philippine Nurses Association of America In collaboration with Philippine Nurses Association of General Santos City Chapter, Philippines, Ms. Joan Sienes RN, Chapter President and Professor F. Jerome Babate RN, Nursing Instructor in Notre Dame Dadiangas University College of Nursing, General Santos City, Philippines. Our organization, WU-PNAA, USA, TC is spearheading a proposal to implement an international C.O.P.E. (Community Outreach Prevention and Education) project in the Philippines in July 2009. The goal is to promote prevention of traumatic injuries such as drinking and driving; along with training exercises for the local police, fire department and Emergency Management System in a specific areas to help elevate their response techniques. Areas of this country are lagging behind in the awareness of protocol and response time for crisis situations. The WU-PNAA, USA, TC and PNAA are extremely concerned about raising the level of professionalism of these individual departments while making their countrymen aware of the seriousness of preventing further traumatic injuries among the population, especially (youth), the next generation of leaders in the Philippines. There is also a need for financial support of this project, so that during the training and demonstrations, Fire trucks, EMS ambulances can be minimally upgraded to meet the high demand of public service to its residents. Elenita Bautista, RN, BSN, Trauma Outcome Manager (TOM) at BTGH and three more Filipino-American employees at BTGH TS namely: Rolando De Matta, CSTR, Zenaida Alabbasi, RN, MBA, MHA, and Vivian Casugbo, Trauma Registrar plan to share their knowledge and expertise with their mother country, the Philippines. As a third world country, it needs all the assistance possible to develop the country’s trauma system and EMSystem. The initiation of this project has been presented to the Trauma Program Manager, Robin Garza, BSN, RN, and to the Trauma Medical Director (TMD) Bradford G. Scott, MD, FACS, Outreach & Injury Prevention Coordinator, Sheila Henderson, and all members of the department at BTGH where the above employees work. BTGH is one of the busiest level I trauma centers in the U.S. where some of the world renowned trauma surgeons work. Wesleyan University-Philippines Nursing Alumni Association USA Texas Chapter held its first fund raising campaign devoted to this project on February 28, 2009. This fund raising campaign offered 3 hours continuing education for nurses and a chance to meet new faces and networking with other healthcare professionals. The Wesleyan University-Philippines Nursing Alumni Association USA Texas Chapter (WUP NAA USA TC) launched its first fund-raising campaign to help provide reference books to the attendees of the First “Intermediate Trauma Nursing Course” (ITNC) to be held in General Santos City, Philippines on July 10-11, 2009 during its WU-P NAA USA TC 3rd Annual Conference, Silver Jubilee Celebration of BSN Class 1984 who are able to attend. The aforementioned (ITNC) Conference is the initial project of WU-P NAA USA TC in conjunction with BTGH TS and PNAA to achieve a goal: “Trauma System and EMSystem Development in the Philippines”. This is the first international community outreach project of BTGH Trauma Services. BTGH is a world renowned Level I Trauma Center, the highest trauma designation awarded to a trauma center for it serve the most critically injured and highest acuity level of trauma patients. American College of Surgeons (ACS) is the agency that is conducting the “trauma survey” verifying trauma centers as Level I-IV Trauma Centers. BTGH had a recent reverification as Level I Trauma Center in March 2-3, 2009. Dr. Kenneth Mattox message to BTGH after March 2-3, 2009 reverification as Level I Trauma Center: To the BTGH Family I join with Mr. Webster in acknowledging the tremendous talent and work effort of those involved in the every aspect of our integrated trauma program. From the EMS, EC, Transfer Center, OR, ICU, Rehab, Outreach, Prevention, and Academic Research programs, the world KNOWS that if one is injured, the 5 best words to remember and utter are, "TAKE ME TO BEN TAUB" to optimize ones chances of survival and functional return as a productive member of society. I am so incredibly proud of the wonderful men and women who make up our coordinated and caring team. This legacy, started by Dr. DeBakey as the world's first named "trauma center" in 1949, has continued uninterrupted for these 60 years of leadership. Each subsequent group of leaders has built on the foundations of those who have gone before. Attention to detail in all things. Pursuit of excellence. Go to the heart of danger and there you will find safety. Kenneth L. Mattox, MD BTGH TS Injury Prevention escalated from a small portion of prevention done in a small scale and a limited time due to staffing to a full grown scale which can be attributed to the help and recommendation of ACS during 2006 trauma survey to hire a full time Injury Prevention Coordinator. A drinking and driving program, Shattered Dreams” is conducted in local high schools to senior graduating class and it features senior students acting as drunk drivers after a Homecoming Party. Drunk drivers will hit a car of homecoming celebrants and passengers will be either dead or severely injured and critically ill. The injured passengers will be sent to BTGH Emergency Shock Trauma rooms by EMS ground and air ambulances. The drunk driver usually is alive and will be sent to jail. Very touching scene when the seniors will go to the funeral home wake and see their friends who were alive and they party with the previous day are now dead and will never see them again. Lesson to take home: “Don’t Drink and Drive” to live and let others live a happy contented life with no disabilities from a car crash specially caused by a drunk driver. There will be testimonial by a real drunk driver who is serving his time in jail or on probation sharing his experience and how he woke up seeing his friends dead and now he’s in jail, no future? So it is a law in Texas and I believe in other states also, Don’t Drink and Drive; Don’t Let Friends Drink and Drive. Have a Designated Driver. “Click It or Ticket” use of car safety belt is another injury prevention promoted by BTGH TS in conjunction with Department of Transportation. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), “April Pools Day”, a “drowning” prevention strategy, Car Seats for all babies born in BTGH, Concert for Automobile and Road Safety (CARS), are only a few of the many injury prevention being done by BTGH TS. BTGH has been designated Level I Trauma Center since 1993 and the first Level I Trauma Center in South Texas. BTGH is one of the two Level I Trauma Centers in Houston. The bottom line is that these things I just relate to you are the things I would like to picture Philippines in a way that trauma care will be delivered appropriately and in a timely manner to save lives and prevent disabilities of the many. I would say that I am not the only person who thinks this way. Perhaps the Philippine government itself has this plan, already started by the Department of Health, and the many Filipino healthcare professionals and other professionals and “kababayans” of our country here and in the different places of the world have this desire to better our country. However, I don’t see it happening yet. I might be wrong. In the local town where I came from, we had an ambulance. I remember then that a person may request to have a sick family member to be sent to a better-equipped hospital mostly in Manila. Sometimes I would hear that the ambulance driver is ill, the ambulance tire is broken, the ambulance engine is not working or simply no gas to run. When a stab wound, gun shot wound or even an 18 wheeler hit a motorcyclist or a pedestrian, I don’t see an ambulance coming. We are so blessed here. We call 911 and an ambulance comes in 3-5 minutes. That 3-5 minute wait feels like forever for someone waiting to be rescued or saved from a life-threatening situation. How much more is a long wait, a wait that will never come perhaps because we do not have the means (ambulance), or if we have the ambulance we don’t have the equipments needed to save lives such as: ambu bags, oxygen, or simply a special needle for needle decompression to relieve pneumothorax, or simply the EMS personnel have no training to do this simple task to save a trauma victim, no airway or endotracheal tube to intubate a respiratory compromised patient, no EKG to monitor a heart attack patient. I can go on and on but I don’t want to waste your time as you read this. We have to admit and be honest with ourselves, if this is what is happening, what are we doing to contribute for the betterment of trauma care or EMSystem in general? Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that it is the sole situation of our country. Some places in the country might have a better situation, more ambulances perhaps, maybe more equipment and supplies, trained EMS personnel and trained physicians with good training to insert a chest tube just in case a pneumothorax or hemothorax is diagnosed. How about that? Diagnose? Do we have radiology equipment to detect or see chest X-ray with such conditions? How fast is it done? I could go on with a never ending argument but that’s not the purpose of this project. Something must be done and if it is not now, when? Let’s do something to help our country. I am not trying to be a hero but perhaps we can start in small scale and open the already opened eyes of our country government administration, our country men and women, families, friends, colleagues, and anyone who may read this who may be aware of what is happening and the real situation of our trauma system and EMSystem in the Philippines. Let us join together and share our time, knowledge, and skills. If maybe you have a busy life with everyday hustle and bustle, just donate a portion of your “wealth”. We always have a “need” that has to be satisfied in order to survive but a “want” is something you can postpone to buy or spend your next cents. Let go of that portion and give to better our trauma care and EMSystem in the Philippines. Please see the message to Wesleyan University-Philippines Nursing Alumni Association, USA, Texas Chapter during its 2005 Silver Jubilee Celebration of Class 1980 sent by Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This is just to remind you of the relationship established by WU-P NAA, USA, TC to the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Pay particular attention to the last sentence of the 3rd, and to the 4th paragraph which says: “Your contribution to our progress and development is welcome as something we can not do without. May the sense of duty inspire you to dedicate your best effort to the service of our country”. For more information on how to donate and to those who would like to send donation: Send a mail or mail your check to: WU-P NAA USA TC c/o /Elenita Bautista-Malicse 13127 Labelle Lane Houston, TX 77015. Thank you and God bless!