(Horizon) March 26, 2015 - The NB Trauma Program recently released its annual report outlining the burden of injury in New Brunswick (NB) and the progress made toward comprehensive, integrated trauma services across the province. The report reveals that the burden of injury remains significant in NB and requires a cohesive, integrated approach to address positive change. 

Highlights from the annual report include:

• Appointment of Dr. Erik St. Pierre as the new Medical Director for the program.
• Launch of the NB Trauma Registry, which gives a comprehensive view of trends in injuries and clinical care.
• Participation in a pilot accreditation with Accreditation Canada, demonstrating the program's commitment to transparency and accountability.
• A focus on clinical care, including Field Trauma Triage for paramedics, the Toll-Free Trauma Referral System and Trauma Control Physicians.
• The continued emphasis on education in trauma care, recognizing the importance of having healthcare professionals with all the necessary tools to provide optimal care to major trauma patients. 

Now in its fifth year, the NB Trauma Program was created to address the fact that injury is the leading cause of death among those aged 1-44 in NB, and accounts for more than $285 million in direct health care costs every year. In NB more than 6,000 people are admitted to the hospital annually as a result of injury.

"Serious and critical injuries occur all too often in our province. They have an enormous human cost to patients and their families, and the financial burden on our healthcare system is also significant," said Dr. Erik St. Pierre, Medical Director of the NB Trauma Program. "While we work with our partners to further enhance care, we also need to work hard to prevent major injuries from occurring in the first place."

With a mission of excellence in trauma care, injury prevention, education and research, the NB Trauma Program has helped improve access to medical intervention and enhance the clinical care of the injured. The program has also published New Brunswick trauma research at the national level and promoted injury prevention awareness.

The NB Trauma Program ensures comprehensive, high quality and coordinated trauma care, education, research and injury prevention throughout New Brunswick. This work is accomplished through a formalized partnership with the NB Department of Health, Horizon Health Network, Vitalité Health Network and Ambulance NB. 

The NB Trauma Annual Report and additional information on the NB Trauma Program is available online at www.NBTrauma.ca. 

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Carolyn McCormack, APR
Media Relations
1-877-499-1899
Media@HorizonNB.ca