Far from a sprint, and more akin to a strenuous but gratifying marathon, the years-long development of the NorthBay Trauma Center is approaching another milestone.

It was in 2002 that I stood before a local Rotary Club and told the lunchtime audience that our team at NorthBay Healthcare would not be satisfied until we developed a delivery system for the advanced medicine that was missing close to home. We were not done after building top-flight delivery of care for mothers and babies and cancer patients.

More than a decade ago, we set goals to build advanced cardiac and vascular care services, treatment of strokes and heart attacks, and ultimately a trauma center. By doing this, our local residents would no longer be shipped off to other counties for their care, creating hardships on them and their families.

After becoming the county’s first accredited Level III trauma center in 2011, work never ceased to elevate the sophistication of our emergency care. Our sights have always been set on becoming the county’s Level II center. In July, we delivered our proposal to Solano County’s EMS Agency to do just that.

In this issue of Wellspring, you will read about the final piece of that long-planned, methodical march toward neurosurgery and our new Center for Neuroscience. It was a journey to the brain, and beyond.

We didn’t recruit a noted neurosurgeon, trained at Stanford and Yale, with a decade of experience, only to bolster our hope of earning Level II status. Our Center for Neuroscience, as you will read, is about bringing more advanced medicine close to home—for all. You do not have to be a member to receive this service before or after a traumatic injury.

A decision on which hospital will be designated as Solano County’s Level II trauma center will come in mid-October, and it will mean that all adult trauma victims can be treated locally. But regardless of how that decision goes, NorthBay Trauma Center will remain intact, treating the vast majority of trauma patients. Located in NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, the heart of the county, it is the ideal location for the 1,000-plus victims of traumatic injuries.

Enjoy the latest edition of Wellspring. We are proud of our accomplishments. While we hope you never need our trauma services, be confident that we are ready, 24/7, if you do.

Gary Passama

President and Chief Executive Officer