Northeast Regional Trauma Advisory Committee

A trauma system is a predetermined and organized response to managing and improving the care of severely injured people.

It spans the continuum-of-care; from prevention and emergency care to rehabilitation. Best practices standards guide each stage of trauma care to ensure that injured people are promptly transported to and treated at facilities appropriate to the severity of their injury.

A trauma system also provides a foundation for disaster preparedness and response. As part of its day-to-day activities, a trauma system coordinates the movement and care of severely injured people. Thus, a trauma system expands and contracts based on the needs and resources available at the moment.

Regions (RTACs) form when neighboring stakeholders self-organize and apply to the commissioner through the STAC (State Trauma Advisory Council) for selection. Stakeholders may be anyone who has a vested interest in the provision of trauma care in the region such as health care providers, hospital administrators, EMS personnel and elected officials. The borders of RTACs should be constructed so as to acknowledge existing health care provider relationships and referral patterns. They should be large enough to include all regional stakeholders, yet small enough to address the resources and unique geography of the region.