Chicago Committee on Trauma Annual Meeting

Chicago Trauma's 2000 achievements in review
Richard J. Fantus, MD, FACS
Chairman, Chicago Committee on Trauma

Last year's annual meeting in November at the Wyndham Hotel was a huge success. For the first time in our committee's history, we hosted the Region V Paper Competition. This attracted participants from the Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio state committees. The function was so well received that it was singled out as a stellar example of a regional paper competition at this years annual meeting of the Committee on Trauma in Reno. I would like to thank everyone for their participation, and especially Lillian Husa along with Carol Williams and Carol Morris from the American College of Surgeons, trauma office for all their help in putting that event together. It went so well, that several of Region V state committees wanted to host the regional paper competition in their hometown. Lastly, lets not forget Dr. Barrett's excellent presentation "The Trauma Zoo".

On the home front, our committee continues to remain active with our ATLS courses, day in trauma, local paper competition, and input into various legislative activities. The ATLS program continues to be successful and again, I would like to recognize the leadership of Dr. Joseph Vitello and Judith Brasic, RN for all their hard work throughout the year in putting on around twenty courses.

The Day in Trauma at Navy Pier this past February was again well attended and we presented the timely topic of "Firearm Violence". Thanks go out to Dr. Manoj Shah for putting this program together. He brought together speakers from the Chicago Police Department, Shwab Rehabilitation Hospital and Care Network, and a local Community Outreach Group.

Dr. Thomas Esposito and our Loyola colleagues again put together our annual local paper competition this past June with guest Judge, and featured speaker Dr. J. David Richardson.

I would like to thank all the competition participants for their original research projects and contribution not only to our local competition but to the trauma community as well. The quality of Region V papers have become extremely competitive and in fact this years first place winner in the Basic Science Category at the national competition came from our region.

On the legislative front we have seen Illinois once again take a lead role in trauma system development by putting together rules and regulation governing the designation of pediatric trauma centers. In addition to these new pediatric trauma center rules and regulations there was a major revision and updating of the adult trauma center rules and regulations. The Chicago committee through the active participation of our members at the state level have been able to impact this rule making process.

In the past I have expressed my desire to bring the trauma community together under one umbrella. This has not happened. After listening to the nursing community, it appears that they have plenty of their own organizations in which to actively participate. However, one area of input they would welcome from the Chicago Committee on Trauma would be through educational endeavors directed towards trauma nursing. In addition to continuing all of our other successful activities, my new committee goal is to find a way to provide to the nursing community, rewarding educational activities. I am asking all of our membership to respond when called upon, and assist us in providing a first rate educational activity for our dedicated trauma nursing community.

In closing, I would thank all of our active members for their involvement in the various activities of our committee especially Dr. Vargish and the other members of the executive committee as well as the sub-committee chair people for their hard work this past year. In addition, I would like to sincerely thank my right hand Lillian Husa, without whom none of this would be possible. For those of you who have not been active, lend us a helping hand and contact me at (773) 296-7033 or Rfantus@immc.org with any suggestions, recommendations or questions you may have.

I look forward to another successful year for the Chicago Committee on Trauma.