Addressing the American Trauma System's Public Health Crisis: Saving Lives through Improved Access and Treatment

The American trauma system is facing a public health crisis as tens of thousands of patients die each year from wounds that could have been survivable with timely treatment. Dr. Donald Jenkins, a trauma surgeon, has pioneered a blood program in San Antonio that provides blood transfusions to critically injured patients on the way to the hospital. The program has been successful in improving survival rates for trauma patients, and its model has been replicated in other cities across the U.S. However, inadequate federal funding and lack of attention from elected officials have hindered major reforms in the trauma system, resulting in poor outcomes for patients.