Pennsylvania Hospital Stories of Healing, Health, and Hope

Pennsylvania Hospital Stories of Healing, Health, and Hope: The Regional Trauma Center at Paoli Hospital

Josh Bonjo, a bright, vibrant 18-year-old, was returning home late one rainy evening from a friend’s house when he lost control of his vehicle and was “t-boned” by an oncoming car. Unconscious and intubated at the scene, Josh was rushed to the Level II Trauma Center at Paoli Hospital. Tests showed the injury to his brain was very severe and left staff questioning if—not when—Josh would recover from injuries.

The Regional Trauma Center at Paoli Hospital, part of Main Line Health, is the only Level II trauma facility in Chester County. Prior to the center’s opening in October 2010, the county had been without specialized trauma services for eight years, requiring severely injured individuals, like Josh, to be transported outside the area for appropriate care.

In its first year, Paoli treated more than 1,400 patients for traumatic injuries and reduced the average time for patients to reach specialized services in the county from 75 to 37 minutes. This means that 95 percent of patients arrived at Paoli Hospital within the “golden hour,” compared to 37 percent in previous years without the trauma program. The golden hour is the first hour after the occurrence of a traumatic injury, considered the most critical for successful emergency treatment.

To date in 2012, the trauma center has seen more than 900 patients, with more than 100 transferred from other hospitals. The majority of these cases were the result of “blunt” trauma, however, the team has seen its share of penetrating injuries.

Impressed with the patient care provided during the first year, and with Paoli’s commitment to serving as Chester County’s only trauma center, Paoli was granted a three-year reaccreditation during the fall of 2011by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation.

Josh’s story clearly illustrates how it takes only a moment, a split second, to change a life irreversibly. Fortunately, Paoli’s experienced trauma team was ready and waiting for Josh’s arrival. His care during the “golden hour” made all the difference.

This is just one of the many examples of Pennsylvania’s hospitals providing healing, health, and hope every day to millions of Pennsylvanians.