On any given day at University Hospital, our trauma team scrambles to save the lives of roughly 13 seriously injured patients. Last year, that amounted to 4,637 people — equal to the population of a small town. They came from every neighborhood in Bexar County, and from neighborhoods many miles outside of Bexar County. They were rich and poor, members of every racial and ethnic group, and ranged in age from infants to the elderly. Each of them was a parent, spouse, child or friend of someone who cared very much for them. They were exactly like you and me. It is important that we put a human face on these patients, because otherwise our eyes tend to glaze over at the charts and numbers that appear throughout this book, our third annual Community Trauma Report. It’s important that we realize those numbers represent our family, our neighbors — and ourselves. That’s why we include a couple of stories in each report about our former patients. This year you can read the story of a high school student who made the mistake of accepting a ride home from a party with a friend who had been drinking, and another about a veterinarian who lost control of a horse he knew well and rode often. These stories demonstrate better than any statistic how preventable most injuries can be. That’s why the word accident appears nowhere on these pages. We believe that with a little knowledge and the will to change risky behaviors, people can avoid most, if not all, of the injuries we see. That’s the goal of our injury prevention programs at University Health System, many of which are described in this report. It’s why we take a closer look in our Spotlight section at certain kinds of injuries we commonly see, and offer some recommendations on how to prevent them. But to be truly successful in reducing the burden of serious injuries in our community, it will take a commitment from us all. Each of us must examine our own behaviors and challenge the behaviors of others — particularly the ones we love. Please take a few minutes to read about the kinds of injuries and injury trends that are taking place in our community. Thank you for your interest in making our community a safer one. John Myers, MD Chief of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Professor, Department of Surgery UT Health Science Center
2014 Community Trauma Report
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