On February 29, Bryan Should’ve Died.

 

 

 

 

Would that get your attention? Outdoor boards carrying this and a similar message went up throughout the Sioux Falls region last week. Today the meaning was finally revealed during media interviews under one of the boards by local stations KELO and KSFY. It was all for the launch of WhyImAlive.com, a landing page designed to help Avera create awareness of the emergency and trauma services it provides throughout the region. In the morning, the reveals will go up — boards that route viewers to a landing page where they can read the story of Bryan and several other individuals who faced death and survived as a result of the medical care provided at an Avera facility.

The campaign which includes both public service and promotional messaging and also includes print and banner ads, was designed to get people thinking about medical emergencies. Often families have a tornado or fire plan but have never discussed what to do in the case of an auto accident or other unforeseen incident. We want people have emergency health plans, to know they should never be embarrassed to call 911 and to acquaint themselves with their nearest Emergency Department.

 The August issue of the Journal of American College of Surgeons reveals cracks in the U.S. trauma system.  An article cites trauma as the leading cause of death of people under 45 in our country and states many regions do not offer adequate trauma services. A combination of a shortage of surgeons and gaps in coverage hinder access to timely, appropriate care. That’s exactly why Avera works to ensure high quality emergency care is available throughout the region. The health system offers emergency care at 27 locations and has eEmergency care available in 14 communities, bringing trauma and emergency medicine consult to areas without 24/7 access to a physician. 

WhyImAlive.com tells the stories of real people from throughout the region whose lives could have changed dramatically if emergency services were not available. In the case of trauma, access to timely, optimal care during the first golden hour has been proven to save lives, restore function and prevent disability, according to Dr. Brent Eastman, author of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons article. By featuring real patients, bvk and the Avera team were able to show that real emergencies are happening around us all the time and that fast action by local emergency teams can ensure that life saving medical care can be administered. We also wanted community members to have confidence in the care available locally and know outstanding emergency treatment is available throughout the region because of the efforts of Avera and its team of expert caregivers.