Orlando Health unveils new trauma center years after Pulse nightclub shooting

ORLANDO, Florida. – Eight years after the Pulse nightclub tragedy, Orlando Health unveils its new, expanded trauma center at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

On June 12, 2016, several victims showed up at ORMC in need of care, the area's only Level 1 trauma center, located just blocks away. All 35 victims who arrived in the operating room survived.

Today, the trauma center is new and improved, thanks to feedback from staff who treated Pulse survivors.

Dr. Joseph Ibrahim, director of surgery at Orlando Health Medical Group, was the first person called early in the morning.

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“I remember coming into the first one, the old trauma room,” Dr. Ibrahim said. “It was eerily quiet. I walked leisurely from the garage, walked my usual route, and entered the trauma room, and clearly, it was very different. I will never forget the very first patient I saw: a large gunshot wound to the chest, and then I looked and saw the room mostly filled with other patients.

Dr. Tracy Zito, medical director of trauma at ORMC, said the tragedy made them realize how they can improve things in the future.

“That immediately made us realize that we wanted to be able to have more and the same capacity,” Dr. Zito said. “So instead of plugging and playing with other emergency beds in the emergency room in case of a surge, we can bring those people into the trauma room where we have all our equipment and everything that is standard on site.”

The expanded trauma center is now double the size of the old one, designed more than 30 years ago. It also has a backup area and staff can add ten more treatment areas if needed.

“It really allows us to do a much better job and better visualize what's happening with each patient because we have larger monitors. They are much more visible and easier to connect,” said Dr Ibrahim. “Everything is updated. And what's more, we have more space. We have the tools we need at our fingertips. »

Dr Ibrahim says this is very important when every second counts.

“It’s not just surgery. It's not just the emergency department. These are things you wouldn’t even think about, like environmental services: how to clean these trauma rooms faster so we can accommodate more patients,” Dr. Ibrahim said. “And that’s not just important during a mass casualty event; it’s important for everyday life. This past weekend was a very busy time at the trauma center, and we were pretty much at capacity.

“This is what we do every day, and most of the public is not aware of the four gunshot wounds that will occur at the same time on any given night that we take care of,” said Dr. Zito .

The updated trauma center has been in use for about a month now. The expansion is part of Orlando Health's $25 million overhaul of ORMC's entire emergency department. The complete renovation is expected to be completed early next year and has been funded entirely by donations.

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