Page 4 - Winter 2020 Castle MD

Message from the Medical Officer
Trauma Services Started at Castle, November 1, 2019.
On May 17, 2015, an Osprey helicopter crash landed on the Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo. Five of 22 victims were treated for traumatic injuries at Adventist Health Castle (AHCS), one with severe head injuries who was stabilized here before transferring to the local Trauma Center where he eventually
died. On December 5, 2016, a family of four was struck by a truck as they were crossing the Kalaniana‘ole Highway in Waimanalo, just 2 miles from AHCS. An 8 month-old baby and his mother were treated at Adventist Health Castle with severe injuries.
As you can see, trauma occurs in this community. Windward O‘ahu has unique trauma risks with an active military base, a growing tourist population, five major highways, and miles of beaches, bike paths and rustic trails. Shark bites, surfing accidents on the famous North Shore, falls from horses or hiking trails, car/ motorcycle/bike/pedestrian accidents from 5 major highways, elderly falls, and potential hurricane and tsunami injuries are some of the traumas that we already treat here. 2015 trauma data from the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 383 trauma victims were transported via ambulance to Castle.
Windward O‘ahu represents about 18% of the population on the island of O‘ahu. Currently there is one Level I and three Level III trauma centers in Honolulu,
but none on the Windward side. We are geographically isolated from Honolulu by the Ko’olau mountains and can be reached only via three tunnels thru the mountain itself, or via two highways around the north and south ends, sometimes taking 40 minutes or longer to get to the nearest trauma center. Closure of the Pali Highway, as we have seen, can adversely affect current trauma care. Ambulances that divert trauma to Honolulu currently leaves a void in emergency coverage on the Windward side.
About three years ago, the Administration, Medical Executive Committee and the hospital Governing Board decided that we needed to better serve the trauma needs of
this community by becoming a Level
III Trauma Center. A Level III Trauma Center can provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care, emergency operations and stabilization of injured patients. If needed, severely injured patients can then be transferred to a Level 1 Trauma Center in Honolulu for more comprehensive care.
We obtained a grant from the DOH and performed a detailed feasibility study that confirmed we have the capacity, capability and resources to becoming
a Level III Trauma Center. As a result of this study, we were able to get several hundred thousand dollars from the State to initiate this service. After many months of planning and meetings, we started
this new Trauma Service on November
1, 2019. Dr. Jacqueline Lee, with her extensive experience in trauma training at Parkland Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, is the Medical Director of Trauma Services. Dr. Alex Berk is the Emergency Department Trauma Director. Sarah Janoian, RN, is the Trauma Services director. Additionally, Drs. Makoto Ogihara, Steven Fowler, Jacqueline
Lee, Jon (Kai) Yamaguchi and myself
are participating in the Trauma Call schedule in which the trauma surgeon must respond and be at the bedside within 30 minutes for a full trauma activation. I am grateful for all of these team members and those that have contributed to this effort.
Together with the rest of our medical staff, we hope to elevate the care
of trauma patients in the Windward community. Truly we are living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Mahalo for all you do here at Adventist Health Castle.
Alan Cheung, MD, MBA, FACS
Medical Officer
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