Movers and Shakers: Blake Medical Center Receives Level II Trauma Center Designation

BRADENTON – The Florida Department of Health announced today that it has awarded full designation for the Level II Trauma Center at Blake Medical Center, marking the end

of a year-long provisional period and making Blake the only trauma center in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties.

"This designation is a culmination of the extraordinary work by our team of physicians, nurses and other clinicians and our shared goal of providing the best possible trauma care to the residents of Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties,” said Daniel Friedrich, president and chief executive officer of Blake Medical Center. "By receiving this Level II Trauma Center designation, we continue to meet the needs of our growing community by providing quality trauma intervention and treatment."

The process began in September 2009 with the filing of a Letter of Intent to Florida Department of Health (FDOH). The program was developed under the guidance of Lynne Grief, PhD, RN, vice president of trauma services and Brian Kimbrell, MD, FACS, trauma medical director.

“We can be proud of this accomplishment,” explains Grief. “It required tremendous dedication by our team to create something our community truly needs. Saving lives is our mission and we’re certain this can be done by eliminating long transport times to other hospitals farther away. Keeping families of trauma patients closer to their loved ones, often helps the recovery process as well.”

“During the last couple years, Blake Medical Center has built the infrastructure for trauma care and other advanced medical services,” explains Kimbrell, “We have built a team of trauma surgeons, anesthesia and OR staff, in-house 24 hours a day, to tend to trauma patients. In addition we have a team of on-call specialists who are immediately available to assist in the treatment of patients. These encompassing efforts illustrate our dedication to providing the highest level of care for our patients.”

About Blake Medical Center

Blake Medical Center is a 383-bed, acute-care, full service hospital and a leading provider of quality, affordable healthcare serving our community since 1973. Blake offers a wide range of healthcare services including: 24-hour emergency care, open-heart surgery, cancer care, joint replacement, back surgery and rehabilitation among many others. Blake is pleased to provide free health education, screenings and support groups to improve the health of our community. For information about hospital services or events or to receive a free physician referral, call 1-888-359-3552.

Among the many awards, certifications and designations the hospital has received, Blake has been named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation nine times, by Solucient. Blake also boasts a a Cycle III Accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI, by the Society of Chest Pain Centers; a designated AMI (Heart Attack) Center, by the Joint Commission; a designated Advanced Primary Stroke Center, also by the Joint Commission; and a cancer program that is Accredited with Commendation by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer.