System of Care

Building a System of Care

The system of care approach to public health provides a functional framework for making use of resources to optimize the care of patients.  The intent is to address conditions that have a significant impact on mortality and morbidity.  This functional framework generally includes: hospitals designated based on resources for the care of particular types of patients, destination guidelines for the transport of patients to the appropriate hospital via EMS, criteria for activation and utilization of hospital resources, data collection, and data use for improving system performance.  In terms of patient care, the system of care framework promotes best practices for caring for patients. 

Section 41-59-5 (5), Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended, establishes the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) as the lead agency to develop a uniform, non-fragmented, inclusive state-wide Trauma Care system.  The intent is to reduce mortality and improve morbidity associated with Trauma.  To this end, the primary goal of the Mississippi Trauma Care System is to deliver the right patient to the right hospital the first time.  Research shows that this approach decreases mortality.  The Trauma Rules and Regulations adopted by the Board of Health provide standards in support of this primary goal of the Trauma System.    

With the incorporation of the Mississippi Trauma Care System (MTCSF), the foundation for a state-wide system of care was laid.  MTCSF is now working toward connecting a comprehensive network of community-based services to meet the needs of the Mississippi trauma system. The goal is to improve the clinical outcomes of injured patients and to prevent injury.  By working in partnership with the present system of care including designated trauma centers, ground and air ambulance services, law enforcement, and first responders, as well as other public and private organizations, MTCSF is providing a network hub for the facilitation of state-wide consistency and application of data-driven best-practices. 

Following the Rules and Regulations of the Mississippi State Department of Health, Bureau of Acute Care Systems, the MTCSF participates with the committees and sub-committees of MSDH, BACS to identify opportunities for improvement and best practices.  The MTCSF works daily with the trauma system of care members to remove silos and other communication barriers. By communicating the best-practices determined by Mississippi’s highest-level trauma centers and tackling the needs in our lower-level trauma centers, MTCSF is applying risk-based thinking to reduce morbidity and mortality.  System of Care is not a service or a program – it is a way of working together with multiple components to achieve the desired outcomes.  

In addition to working with the MSDH Trauma System of Care, the MTCSF is working with other Mississippi systems of care. The Foundation also partners with Mississippi Emergency Support Function 8 to provide state assistance and coordinate local resources in response to public health and disaster medical care needs.

A sustainable trauma system of care requires on-going review, and modifications when required.  MTCSF partners with trauma centers to maintain an inclusive trauma care system – a trauma care system that incorporates every health care facility within a community in a system to provide a continuum of services for all injured persons who require care in an acute care facility; in such a system, the injured patient’s needs are matched to the appropriate hospital resources. 

System of Care Values:

• Integrity
• Open and honest communication
• Mutual respect and teamwork
• Resourceful and responsive
• Service excellence
• Accountability

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Links to Information and Initiatives of State Agencies System of Care:

Mississippi Trauma Care System

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/49.html

Mississippi State Department of Health, Bureau of Acute Care Systems, Contact Information

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/6721.pdf

Mississippi State Department of Health Trauma Center Applications

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/49,0,402.html

Mississippi State Department of Health Reports

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/49,0,313.html

Mississippi State Department of Health Trauma Care Regulations

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/49,0,305.html

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/7361.pdf

Trauma Team Activation Criteria

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/10244.pdf

Mississippi Trauma Advisory Committee (MTAC) https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/49,0,323,394.html 

Mississippi Trauma Advisory Committee (MTAC) Members

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/5468.pdf

Emergency Medical Services

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/47.html

EMS Rules and Regulations

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/47,0,305.html

FY 2021 Mississippi TRAUMA System of Care 

Performance Improvement and Patient Safety Manual (PIPS MANUAL)

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/7974.pdf