Appendix C - Trauma Systems Chronology

1913	National Safety Council established.
1922	American College of Surgeons establishes Committee on Treatment of Fractures (later became Committee on Trauma).
1966	National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council publishes "Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society." Landmark document identifies injury as a national health care problem.
1966	Highway Safety Act establishes the EMS Program in the Dept. of Transportation. First national commitment to reducing injuries and deaths on highways.
1968	American Trauma Society established.
1973	Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) Act provides federal guidelines and funding for development of regional EMS systems. Trauma systems identified as one of 15 essential components of EMS systems.
1976	American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma publishes "Optimal Hospital Resources for Care of Injured Patient," which identifies three tiers of trauma center commitment.
1981	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act consolidates EMS funding into state preventive block grants; EMSS Act funding eliminated.
1984	Congress authorizes the EMS-C Program to address pediatric injury.
1985	National Research Council and Institute of Medicine publish "Injury in America: A Continuing Public Health Problem," which recognizes the field of injury control as linking prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation.
1986	Injury Prevention Act (followed by Injury Control Act of 1990) establishes Division of Injury Epidemiology and Control at Centers for Disease Control (elevated to National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in 1992) to provide leadership for a spectrum of injury-related public health activities.
1987	American College of Emergency Physicians publishes "Guidelines for Trauma Care Systems" that identifies essential criteria for trauma care systems, especially prehospital care components.
1988	National Highway Traffic Safety Administration establishes the Statewide EMS Technical Assessment program and Development of Trauma Systems course.
1990	Trauma Systems Planning and Development Act creates Division of Trauma and EMS (DTEMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services.
1990	American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma publishes revised guidelines as " Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient," changing focus from trauma centers to trauma systems.
1992	Position paper from Third National Injury Control Conference (CDC) first addresses concept of "inclusive" trauma systems.
1992	DTEMS publishes Model Trauma Care System Plan to aid states in development of inclusive regional trauma care systems.
1999	Institute of Medicine publishes "Reducing the Burden of Injury," which calls for greater national commitment to trauma care systems at all levels.
1999	American College of Surgeons publishes "Consultation for Trauma Systems" to facilitate objective evaluations of trauma systems.
2000	Trauma System Planning & Development Reauthorized and Funded.