Sept. 30, 2025
Brad P. Deleu, D.O., a trauma surgeon at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minnesota, and the incoming chair of the Southern Minnesota Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (SMRTAC), is not surprised that SMRTAC participation rates have dipped significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We don't get a ton of participation currently," he says of the SMRTAC quarterly meetings and subcommittees. "Since COVID-19, no one has designated time for this."
Historically, as the region's Level 1 trauma center, Mayo Clinic Adult Trauma Center hosted SMRTAC. Daniel Stephens, M.D., adult trauma center director at Mayo Clinic, is the outgoing chair of the committee.
Challenges to SMRTAC in-person participation and SMARTAC's intent to overcome
Lower participation rates than those pre-COVID-19 are not unique to SMRTAC and its region, says Dr. Deleu. Instead, it affects most regional trauma advisory committees (RTACs) in Minnesota.
"Participation challenges in 2025 are especially an issue in places such as northern Minnesota, where every trauma center is a Level 4," says Dr. Deleu. "Trauma professionals in Level 4 centers face limited staffing and ability to leave patient care to participate in an RTAC," says Dr. Deleu.
Kari S. Coates, R.N., a trauma program manager for Mayo Clinic Health System, echoes that RTAC quarterly meeting attendance can be a challenge for trauma professionals in rural locations distant from the meeting locale.
She also notes that in addition to SMRTAC postpandemic engagement issues, turnover has challenged the organization in recent years. Now, she and Dr. Deleu are working together to determine what SMRTAC needs to accomplish, recruit subcommittee chairs and update bylaws.
"It's honestly challenging for people to attend from all over our region," she says, noting that SMRTAC leadership encourages in-person attendance but the meetings are available virtually.
Dr. Deleu notes that aside from the Twin Cities metro area in which trauma professionals often work in closer proximity and frequently have designated, paid time for RTACs, gathering a group together for quarterly meetings can be challenging.
"There's been an evolution away from driving many miles to be part of regional trauma meetings, which was common before the pandemic," he says. "Previously, there was pretty robust involvement. We hope to reenergize this organization and bring significant in-person participation back to the norm."
Coates agrees.
"COVID-19 did a number on people," she says. "And now it's hard to get together and interact and do more with less. However, I have seen more engagement in SMRTAC in the last couple of months, and I hope this continues."
About SMRTAC
SMRTAC's mission is to bring together regional trauma professionals to discuss trauma care procedures and review data on treated traumatic injuries, offering feedback and sharing ideas on trauma patient care experiences. Additionally, the organization discusses and reviews clinical guidelines, state funding and grants, examining current problems or areas for improvement in regional trauma care.
"SMRTAC addresses injury prevention, education and outreach to its communities and develops practice management guidelines, especially for trauma centers without these guidelines," says Coates.
She says an example of the guidelines SMARTAC discusses is those for rib fracture care, which often involves pain control and pulmonary hygiene issues. Guidelines discussed include early imaging, admission, and retaining a patient locally for care or transferring to a higher care level.
SMRTAC's region extends from the Mississippi River to west of Mankato.
An invitation to participate in SMRTAC
Dr. Deleu invites all trauma professionals in the SMRTAC region to attend quarterly meetings in Mankato. He mentions a particular desire to see more participation from non-Mayo Clinic-affiliated trauma centers.
Ideally, Dr. Deleu would like representation in SMRTAC's quarterly meetings and leadership from emergency medical services and flight crews; trauma program managers, surgeons, nurses and administrators; and any other trauma-related professionals.
For example, he notes that SMRTAC leaders would like the opportunity to ask EMS professionals questions such as:
- What types of patients are you seeing in your service lately?
- How is your hiring going?
- What supplies do you need?
Coates agrees that a wide breadth of trauma professionals attending from all the region's trauma centers would be optimal.
"If you come to the meetings, you'll see firsthand the importance of trauma care to our patients," she says.
Dr. Deleu also would like SMRTAC participants to return to hosting mock local traumas with community involvement and to sponsor community injury prevention events such as car seat checks. These types of events were commonplace before the pandemic, yet many have fallen by the wayside since then.
SMRTAC also desires to fill leadership positions. Dr. Deleu suggests that individuals attend quarterly meetings and express interest. He says that the benefits of holding a SMRTAC leadership position include opportunities to network with other trauma professionals and list committee participation on a curriculum vitae.
Coates also notes that SMRTAC provides education opportunities for trauma professionals, with credits offered, as well as benchmark with other trauma centers. She says she appreciates the support that trauma professionals at these meetings provide for one another. In addition, she comments that the opportunity to get to know those working at other regional trauma centers is valuable so when patients transfer between centers, the healthcare professionals know each other and have built trust.
"If you have a passion for trauma, there's a lot of room to grow in SMRTAC."
SMRTAC reorganization
SMRTAC is undergoing a reorganization affecting practice guidelines for Level 3 and 4 trauma centers, all of which the state of Minnesota accredits. The organization recently submitted recommendations to the state for the transfer of patients with traumatic injuries between Level 3 and Level 4 trauma centers.
SMRTAC leaders hope to alleviate challenges with Level 3 trauma centers' lack of sufficient beds for trauma patients transferred by Level 4 centers. Currently, state guidelines limit Level 4 trauma centers in the types of patients with traumatic injuries that they can retain for care. The new proposal, if approved by the state of Minnesota and the state trauma advisory committee, would allow Level 4 centers to keep more patients and provide care without an on-site surgeon present.
This proposal might allow Level 4 trauma centers to care for patients with isolated orthopedic fractures and minor injuries, such as:
- Rib fractures that require inpatient pain management.
- Isolated hip fractures.
- Small and uncomplicated head bleeds.
Another aspect of this proposal would allow SMRTAC to provide nonsurgical guidelines for hospitalists not trained in trauma.
"If you have a passion for trauma, there's a lot of room to grow in SMRTAC," says Dr. Deleu.
For more information
Southern Minnesota Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (SMRTAC).