Blake Hospital Plans To Add Trauma Center, Bradenton

Patients needing trauma care in Sarasota, Manatee or Desoto counties no longer need to travel to Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland
 or Lee County for treatment.

Blake Medical Center in Bradenton is making plans to open its own trauma center soon, starting with the hiring of a new trauma director, Dr. Brian Kimbrell, in August.

"This will provide an extremely important and critical service to the community by reducing the amount of time and distance for an injured patient to receive definite care," says Kimbrell. "As our program develops, we'll see improved trauma outcomes and survival, as well as increased availability of specialists and resources for all patients."

Kimbrell's appointment is the next step in the hospital's plans to develop a Level II Trauma Center. The hospital filed a letter of intent with the state on Sept. 30, 2009 and in early April 2010, filed an application with a request for an extension, which was granted. The hospital plans to file a completed application in early 2011 in hopes of being granted provisional trauma center status by October 2011.

According to a county-by-county assessment report provided by Blake, Manatee has the 12th-highest mortality rate in the state. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January, 2006, documents a 25 percent reduction in mortality rate for patients treated at trauma centers compared to care at non-trauma centers.

Renovations to Blake's ER are underway to create two trauma bays. External traffic changes will begin soon as well. In addition, Blake recently hired Michelle Bryskiewicz, RN, as vice president of trauma services. Training of hospital personnel will continue to take place throughout the process.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Dr. Brian Kimbrell, Blake Medical Center