The experts in the Smith Level I Shock Trauma Center at Eskenazi Health, supported by the Division of Continuing Medical Education of the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, will host the 21st Annual Trauma & Surgical Critical Care Symposium tomorrow, Oct. 24, at the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital. This year’s symposium will focus on violence and its impact on emergency and critical care providers. 

More than 150 health care providers are expected to gather to hear educational presentations from community and health care leaders and engage in discussion about trauma care and the recent increase in violence in Indianapolis.

"We can't ignore the rate of violent crimes and injuries in our city," said Dr. Gerardo Gomez, medical director of the Smith Level I Shock Trauma Center and chief of trauma services at Eskenazi Health. "It's our duty as health care providers to understand the social and cultural issues impacting our patients and our public safety partners. This helps us to provide the best patient care possible and work to prevent injury in the first place."

Speakers at the event will include Indianapolis Public Safety Director Troy Riggs, emergency care providers from across the country and IU School of Medicine faculty members.

In addition, the winner of the Jay L. Grosfeld, M.D., Trauma Recognition Award will be announced at the event. This award, named for a former trauma surgeon at Eskenazi Health, honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions and shown great dedication to the care of injured patients and their families in the state of Indiana.

The Trauma & Surgical Critical Care Symposium is hosted by Eskenazi Health faculty and staff each year, providing a unique learning and networking opportunity for area health care providers, from surgeons to nurses to paramedics. 

Eskenazi Health treats more than 2,000 trauma patients each year and became the first verified Level I trauma center in the state in 1992. It remains one of only two adult Level I trauma centers in Indiana. A Level I trauma center is a comprehensive regional resource that is central to the trauma system. Trauma centers verified as Level I are capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention to rehabilitation. Key elements of a Level I trauma center include 24-hour, in-house coverage by trauma surgeons and prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine and critical care.

Level I trauma centers are committed to injury prevention, public education and continuing training of the trauma team members as well as continued improvement through a comprehensive quality assessment program and an organized research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care. 

CONTACT: Natalie Moya
Phone: 317.880.4790
Pager: 317.310.5972 
Email: natalie.moya@eskenazihealth.edu