Floyd Medical Center has added a Trauma Medical Director, trauma surgeons and an Orthopaedic Traumatologist to meet more stringent guidelines for Level II Trauma Centers.

Clarence “Mac" McKemie, M.D., Harbin Clinic general surgeon, has joined Floyd as full-time Trauma Medical Director and surgeon, and James Riley, M.D., Harbin Clinic general surgeon, has joined Floyd as a trauma surgeon. In addition, Chad Beck, M.D., has joined Floyd as an Orthopaedic Traumatologist.

Dr. McKemie and Dr. Riley will continue as Harbin Clinic surgeons, but will be exclusively devoted to Floyd Medical Center through a professional services agreement with Harbin Clinic. In addition, Harbin Clinic will provide additional general surgeons to provide the necessary coverage for continuous 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week service dedicated solely to Floyd. Dr. Beck is a Floyd-employed physician.

These enhancements to Floyd Medical Center's trauma services are the result of new requirements for Level I and Level II Trauma Centers in Georgia, said Dr. Ken Jones, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. The state now requires that Level I and Level II Trauma Centers meet the requirements of the American College of Surgeons.

“Floyd has a history of providing excellent emergency and trauma care. Our new agreement with Harbin, with surgeons dedicated to Floyd, is a tremendous advancement for Floyd's trauma center," said Dr. Jones. “Patients will have immediate access to a very high level of care when they experience traumatic injuries that require immediate medical attention."

Harbin Clinic Orthopaedics and Rome Orthopaedic Center will continue to be an essential part of Floyd's ACS Trauma Level II designation, Dr. Jones said. “Dr. Beck's expertise further enhances these trauma services and reduces the need to transfer complex orthopaedic injuries to other hospitals as often."

In addition, Floyd continues to enjoy and benefit from its relationships with Harbin Clinic neurosurgeons and vascular surgeons, he said.

The ACS requires higher-level, on-site trauma services including around-the-clock call arrangements for dedicated specialists who meet response time requirements for traumatic injuries.

In addition to these services, Floyd will construct a $4 million helipad for air ambulances at the North Second Avenue entrance to the hospital's Emergency Care Center (ECC) as the hospital.

The raised helipad will have direct elevator access to ECC trauma bays and will allow ambulances and other first-responder vehicles to pass and park beneath to access the ECC. Dr. McKemie made the case for the raised helipad citing faster access to treatment and the trauma center's large service area.

“The helipad will give air ambulance patients quick, direct access to the region's only Level II Trauma Center," Dr. McKemie said. “Time is important in a trauma situation, and Floyd has committed the resources to bring the very best in facilities and resources to our community."

Floyd Medical Center is the only Level II Trauma Center in Georgia EMS Region 1, which covers 16 Georgia counties over 5,439 square miles. There are no Level I Trauma Centers the region. Floyd also is an approved provider within the Alabama trauma system, and provides service to four Alabama counties. The total population served by Floyd's trauma center is 1.37 million people.

Floyd is not seeking to establish or recruit an air ambulance service to be based here, said Kurt Stuenkel, Floyd President and CEO. “The helipad will be used by already-established air ambulances to provide quick access to the region's highest level of trauma services. In essence, we are relocating the helipad we currently use from Riverside Parkway to the trauma center."

Floyd Medical Center was the first designated trauma center in Georgia. It has maintained that designation for 40 years.