Division of Trauma

Rhode Island Hospital is the Trauma Center for our state, as well as adjacent portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut. More than 2500 trauma admissions occur each year. Many of these have musculoskeletal injuries consistent with preponderance (80%) of blunt trauma in our region. The hospital has a strong and long-standing commitment to the care of the injured. A well-developed trauma program adheres to the principles of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, focusing on professional and public education and on research, as well as on the delivery of trauma care. A close working relationship exists between the orthopaedic and general surgery trauma services.

While all of Rhode Island Hospital's orthopaedic teams treat injured patients, the Division of Orthopaedic Trauma is a resource for the care of those with complex or multiple injuries. The Division's full-time orthopaedic traumatologist coordinates the department's teaching, research, and clinical care in this subspecialty area. All first year residents become certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support, and have rotations on the General Surgery Trauma Service. During the Orthopaedic Trauma rotation, residents progressively assume responsibility for patient care, participating as attending-level surgeons in their Junior Attending year. Attendance at a Basic-level AO/ASIF fracture treatment course is part of the second year orthopaedic curriculum. The Division's educational goal is that each graduate becomes fully capable of providing expert care for patients with serious or multiple extremity injuries, with competency in evaluation and initial care of pelvic and acetabular fractures, extending to definitive surgical care of selected pelvic trauma.

The Division's didactic program includes daily emergency department x-ray review conferences, and weekly rounds reviewing all trauma service in-patients. Weekly orthopaedic trauma conferences focus on clinical problem-solving, using the current edition of Skeletal Trauma as a syllabus. Opportunities for mentored clinical research are available. Basic science research in trauma-related topics is an institutional strength, with staff and resources not only in our Department, but in General Surgery and other specialties as well.
Trauma Faculty