The origins of The Rural Emergency Trauma Institute (RETI), a non-profit organization, began in 2003. Dr. David A. Kappel and Dr. E. Phillips Polack formed RETI, with its mission to support and improve West Virginia’s Rural Trauma System through research, data, and analysis. These physicians have accomplished many things over the last several years while following their personal passions and RETI’s mission. Through generous funding, RETI has achieved many things:
- RETI has facilitated construction of tower sites to improve the medical command network in West Virginia.
- A medical communication command center in Flatwoods, West Virginia, has been built and equipped by RETI.
- Continuous training has been given to hospital trauma registry personnel throughout West Virginia.
- RETI’s EMS studies have evaluated best practices, including improved methods for communications between command center employees and field personnel. Results have enabled the development of training specifically directed toward improvement of the command center and EMS field personnel.
- Recent RETI studies have evaluated the communication skills of medical command personnel which will result in specifically directed training for communication improvement.
- RETI, in its mission to improve the rural trauma system, has determined a need for technological solutions for EMS field personnel to communicate more effectively within the medical command systems resulting in an improved hospital and inter-hospital treatment and transportation of trauma patients.