Background
Foundation History
| June 1971 | Pennsylvania Medical Society (PMS) report, Emergency Medical and Health Services in Pennsylvania, calls for PMS, the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) to take the lead in improving emergency medical services in Pennsylvania. |
| July 1976 | HAP, PMS, and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) establish the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council (PEHSC). Governor Shapp signs the Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Services Systems Act into law. |
| August 1980 | DOH establishes a process and timetable to designate trauma centers. |
| January 1981 | Three separate legal suits are filed by hospitals challenging the authority of the DOH to designate trauma centers. |
| February 1982 | HAP Board of Trustees approves policy to support voluntary trauma center accreditation program and to oppose designation by DOH. |
| April 1982 | DOH attempts to develop regulations to designate trauma centers. |
| June 1983 | American College of Surgeons (ACS) approves trauma center guidelines. |
| October 1983 | (Governor) Thornburgh Administration and DOH develop proposed legislation to designate trauma centers and license ambulances. |
| December 1983 | Senator Roy Wilt introduces SB 1177, the first attempt at an omnibus EMS bill. |
| January 1984 | Legislative Budget and Finance Committee issues report on emergency medical services in Pennsylvania and recommends the enactment of a new comprehensive emergency medical services law to the General Assembly. |
| February 1984 | HAP and PMS testify against DOH trauma center designation and indicate support for accreditation. |
| April 1984 | Philadelphia Inquirer articles and Pittsburgh article series on emergency medical services and trauma care in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas are published. |
| May 1984 | HAP and PMS form Trauma Task Force to develop voluntary accreditation program. |
| June 1984 | Representatives Joseph M. Gladeck, Jr., and James Greenwood introduce HB 1627 which would establish a voluntary accreditation program. |
| July 1984 | HAP Board of Trustees approves establishment of Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF). |
| September 1984 | PMS Board of Trustees approves establishment of PTSF. |
| October 1984 | PTSF Board of Directors (Board) holds its first meeting. |
| November 1984 | Pennsylvania General Assembly votes unanimously to approve HB 1627. |
| December 1984 | Governor Thornburgh signs HB 1627 into law. |
| January 1985 | PTSF approves Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. |
| April 1985 | Draft Trauma Center Accreditation Standards are circulated. Hearings are held in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg. Approximately 27 people testify in each area. Portions of these testimonies are then incorporated into the Standards or as Interpretations to the Standards. |
| June-July 1985 | Standards for Adult Regional Resource (Level I) and Regional (Level II) Trauma Center are adopted by the Board. Board charges the Standards Committee with development of Level III type Standards. General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania enacts the Emergency Medical Services Act (Act 1985-45) and it is signed by Governor Thornburgh. Act 1985-45 is an omnibus EMS bill that defines the authority and responsibility of the DOH and PTSF. |
| September - October 1985 | Standards for Pediatric Regional Resource Trauma Centers are adopted by the Board of Directors. Applications for Survey are circulated. |
| December 1985 | Fifty-three (53) Applications for Survey are received. |
| January 1986 | Applications for Survey are reviewed for completeness, and follow-up correspondence is directed to hospitals with incomplete applications. |
| February 1986 | The Board of Directors approves:
Dr. Muller, Secretary of Health, meets with PTSF and concurs with the idea of developing Level III type Standards and the subsequent involvement of the DOH. |
| March 1986 | Site survey visits are scheduled for 36 hospitals. |
| April - June 1986 | Thirty-six (36) hospitals are site surveyed by ten survey teams of experts from outside Pennsylvania. |
| July 1986 | Board approves accredited trauma centers. |
| October 1986 | Board announces accredited trauma centers:
First time accreditation is a one year provisional accreditation. PTSF statewide Trauma Registry begins with the accredited trauma centers. |
| November 1986 | First step of Appeals Hearings - Pre-Informational Hearings are held for 26 hospitals. |
| December 1986 | Board announces additional accredited trauma centers:
Second accreditation cycle begins. Applications for Survey and Standards for Trauma Center Accreditation available. |
| January - April 1987 | Board announces additional accredited trauma centers from the first cycle process as a result of focused site survey reviews:
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| April - July 1987 | Thirty-one (31) hospitals site surveyed by survey teams of experts from outside Pennsylvania. |
| October 1987 | Board announces accredited trauma centers:
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| November 1987 | First step of Appeals Hearings: Pre-Informational Hearings are held for nine (9) hospitals. |
| January - February 1988 | Focused site survey reviews completed on several hospitals from the 1987 cycle. |
| February 1988 | Third accreditation cycle begins: Applications for Survey and Standards for Trauma Center Accreditation available. |
| April 1988 | Board announces three (3) additional accredited trauma centers from the 1987 cycle:
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| May - July 1988 | Twenty-one (21) hospitals are surveyed by survey teams of experts from outside Pennsylvania. |
| July 1988 | Trauma Directors Conference - The first statewide physician peer review of trauma cases is held. |
| September - October 1988 | Quality Assurance consultations are provided for seven (7) two-year accredited trauma centers. |
| October 1988 | Board announces accredited trauma centers for the period October 1, 1988 through September 30, 1989:
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