A mile is all it takes: Quantifying the distance between trauma centers in South Carolina
Kimberly Nyasha Sipanela
To receive the best care, sometimes patients must be transported between hospitals to prevent morbidity and mortality. A patient is transported depending on the trauma level of their injuries or illness. Each patient should be accompanied by skilled medical care givers. For patients in dire need of care, the distance between them and the nearest hospital that can provide those services can be the determining factor in whether the patient survives or not. This can be a factor determining rate of mortality en route between the trauma levels. The level of resources of the transporting hospital can also be a factor because some hospitals do not have access to helicopters or helipads. To illustrate these issues and quantify the needs of patients located in different parts of the state, the low-level trauma centers and high-level trauma centers for hospitals were mapped using QGIS. The distances between each hospital were calculated using QGIS to determine whether is critical care patient transportation optimal and to measure probable success of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in transporting patients between the hospitals. The distances between the lowest-level trauma care (level V) from the middle level trauma centers (level III) and the highest-level trauma center (level I) were calculated and will be presented.
Kimberly Nyasha Sipanela is a sophomore biology major from Harare, Zimbabwe. She studies at Lander University in South Carolina. She was an orientation leader for the year 2023. She is an assistant to the director of student life, a peer tutor, as well as a peer leader for LINK 101. She is involved with the Presidential Ambassadors and enjoys playing outdoor sports such as rugby. Kimberly is also part of the Honors College which gives her access to learn about unique aspects of the world. She is very passionate about the environment and the effect of various medical challenges on regular citizens.