December 29, 2006

TO:       Hospital Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Planning Coordinators
            Hospital Emergency Department Managers, Coordinators and Directors
            Health Department Directors, Epidemiologists, and Emergency Planners
            EMS System Directors, Assistant Directors and Medical Directors
            Emergency Management Coordinators and Regional Managers

RE:      ACEP "Town Meeting" on Trauma System Development in Kentucky

We are pleased to announce that an annual Trauma Stakeholders Conference will be held on February 8, 2007, in conjunction with a Kentucky American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) "Town Hall" Meeting.  We would like to invite your participation at the Town Hall meeting, and in the brief  Trauma Stakeholders Conference that will follow.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky through the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) was the previous recipient of three federal grants to provide seed money to aid in development of a trauma system in our state.  Unfortunately, the federal government has withheld funding for years 2 and 3 of the current grant.  Nevertheless, the Kentucky Chapter of ACEP applied for and received a $10,000 grant to hold a "Town Hall Meeting" on the topic of Trauma System Development in Kentucky.  

This Town Hall meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on February 8, 2007, at the Capital Plaza Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn downtown) in Frankfort, and will include lunch.  

We are pleased that Bill Goodman from Kentucky Educational Television will be the moderator for the program.  A panel of experts will include Representative Mary Lou Marzian; William Hacker, M.D., acting Undersecretary for Health and Public Health Commissioner; Andrew Bernard, M.D. representing the Level I trauma centers in the state; William Barnes, M.D. representing the rural trauma surgeons in the state; Nancy Galvagni, Senior Vice President of the Kentucky Hospital Association; and Barbara Reynolds, M.D. representing emergency medicine.  The program will also include video clips of former trauma patients in Kentucky, emergency medical service providers, injury prevention experts, and the Emergency Nurses Association.  We are also pleased to inform you that Representative Mary Lou Marzian has indicated a willingness to pre-file draft Kentucky Trauma System legislation in the 2007 Session.

Immediately following the Town Hall Meeting, there will be a brief Trauma Stakeholders Conference from 2:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.  We are currently trying to recruit the EMS Director from either Florida or Virginia to speak to the benefits that a well-established trauma system has provided in their state.  In addition, we will provide brief reports on each component of the recent Institute of Medicine report on the “The Future of Emergency Care in the U.S. Health System”.  There will be refreshments and a cash bar at an evening reception on the same day to which legislators will be invited.

We hope that you will be able to join us in February. We have funds to pay for your travel costs and hotel expense, if you choose to stay in the Capital Plaza Hotel-Frankfort on February 8.  Attached is a registration form.  Hotel reservations should be made direct with the Capital Plaza Hotel by calling (502) 227-5100 (you will need a credit card to hold the room, room rate is $74.00 plus tax - accommodation will be paid by the grant) and reference “Stakeholders Conference” to receive the state rate for accommodation.  On the registration form is a section where you can ask questions that you would like to see addressed at the Town Hall Meeting.  The cutoff date to make hotel reservations and to register for the Town Hall and Trauma Stakeholders Conference is January 23, 2007.  You may e-mail Dr. Fallat or fax the registration at the address shown on the form, or U.S. mail the registration form.

We appreciate your interest and support.  If you feel that there are other key persons on your staff who would benefit from this program please forward the information and registration form.

Sincerely,

Mary E. Fallat

Mary E. Fallat, M.D.

Professor of Surgery University of Louisville

Past Member, Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services

Chair, Trauma Advisory Committee

Chair, Kentucky Emergency Medical Services for Children Subcommittee

Mefall01@louisville.edu