CARIBOU, Maine — Earlier this month staff from Cary Medical Center joined team members from several local ambulance services for a collaborative training day focused on enhancing trauma care. The full-day program covered the entire continuum of trauma management — from pre-hospital response and rapid assessment to in-hospital critical care.
In small rural communities, this type of hands-on education and cross-agency coordination is essential. Strengthening clinical skills, improving communication and training side-by-side ensures that patients who experience traumatic injuries have the best possible chance of survival.
“When people in rural areas lack timely access to trauma centers, it becomes especially important that providers in the field and in the emergency department have the training and resources necessary to improve a patient’s odds of survival,” said Beth Ann Collamore, MD, Emergency Department physician at Cary Medical Center and Region 5 EMS medical director. “Cary has a strong relationship with the EMS departments that bring patients to us, and collaborative trainings like this strengthen that partnership — which ultimately benefits the people we care for.”
Roughly 30 million people in the United States live in rural areas without rapid access to trauma centers, leading to significantly higher mortality rates from traumatic injuries. EMS providers are trained in the concept of the Golden Hour, the critical first 60 minutes after an injury when timely intervention can make a life-saving difference. When geography or distance makes transport time longer, highly skilled field care becomes even more vital.
“This training provided us with a chance to work with nursing staff from different hospital departments who might only see for a few minutes during transfers of care,” said Danny Gahagan, assistant chief at Fort Fairfield Fire Rescue. “By understanding each other’s roles, it not only benefits the medical providers but also ensures the continuity of care for the patients we serve.”
During the training, EMS providers and emergency department nurses practiced hands-on techniques including intubation, lung decompression, traction splints, tourniquets, tracheostomy care and the use of EZ-IO (an intraosseous vascular access system). Many of these skills focus on protecting and maintaining the airway — one of the most urgent priorities in trauma care. Providers follow the ABCs of emergency medicine: airway, breathing, and circulation, addressing these life-threatening concerns in that critical order.
“This was an excellent program, and we hope to offer more opportunities like this in the future,” said Chelsea Desjardins, RN, BSN, clinical educator at Cary Medical Center. “In trauma care, every second matters and the more comfortable providers are with these high-risk, low-frequency skills, the better prepared they are when real emergencies occur. Ongoing training keeps our teams sharp, builds confidence and strengthens the trust between hospital staff and EMS. That preparation ultimately translates into better outcomes for our patients.”
Cary Medical Center is a 63-bed acute care hospital well known for its patient-centered services. We are a community of providers committed to excellence in healthcare and to improving the lives of those we serve. We are actively engaged in advancing the health and wellness needs of people in Aroostook County, including the unserved and underserved. Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services are equal opportunity providers and employers.
