The Final Countdown is Underway

Alyson Cole
Assistant Executive
Director, PPMC

The transition of Penn Medicine’s Level 1 Trauma Center from HUP to Penn Presbyterian is less than 100 days away. Years of planning and countless meeting hours have gone into the detailed plans, which are beginning to unfold in this final phase. Multidisciplinary teams from both campuses and across the clinical departments are completing their final checklists in preparation for this historic transition on February 4^th, 2015.

 “The transition planning has involved the hard work of hundreds of staff and leaders spanning over thirty seven unique departments and divisions across Penn Medicine,” explains Trauma Transition Director Alyson Cole. “This complex organizational change is really a unique opportunity and a first, not only for Penn Medicine but also for trauma centers nationally. To our knowledge this is the first time a Level 1 trauma program anywhere has planned a move between hospital entities within an academic health system.”

Throughout the preparations, the patient has been at the center of all of the care planning and transition efforts. Planning the optimum patient care experience first began with the design of the new Pavilion for Advanced Care. Construction of the 5 floor tower, which houses the PPMC expansions in critical care, surgical services, trauma/emergency services and radiology, will soon to be completed, and staff will begin to occupy the building in January.
Click here for more details on the opening and occupancy schedule of the PPMC Pavilion for Advanced Care.

Perhaps more complex than planning the physical infrastructure requirements has been ensuring that the transition accounted for the complexity and skill competency of the care team staff necessary to transition with the trauma service. Over 209 trauma trained nurses, advanced practice providers, respiratory and radiology techs, social workers, and other staff will transition from HUP to PPMC in February to care for the trauma patients. In addition to the staff transferring, over 100 new full time staff positions are being filled at PPMC to complete the care team compliments across a number of ancillary and support services departments.
Click here for more details on the resources and service expansions planned at PPMC.

Finally, as our February transition goal approaches a significant training effort is underway to continue to ensure that among all staff – those transitioning and newly hired, as well as the existing teams on both the PPMC and HUP campuses outside of the trauma and emergency services– are well oriented and prepared for all of the changes taking place. Cole adds, “We have really made every effort to ensure a smooth transition for our patients. The care plans, protocols and processes as well as the orientation to the new building, equipment and services will be the focus of a series of training plans and simulations that will unfold throughout the next months. We welcome all questions and encourage anyone with a question to reach out and let us know.”
Click here to submit your question.