Trauma Surgeon Bruce Walsh, M.D., Appointed Trauma Medical Director
March 29, 2011
Orange Park, FL – Bruce Walsh, M.D., F.A.C.S., has been appointed Trauma Medical Director for Orange Park Medical Center (OPMC). “The appointment of Dr. Walsh represents the first major step in building our trauma program and trauma surgical staff,” says John Lunde, Administrative Director of Trauma Services at OPMC. “Dr. Walsh brings expertise in all facets of trauma and surgical critical care, including trauma system design, trauma center operations as well clinical care for the critically injured patient. With Dr. Walsh onboard, we are rapidly on course to begin providing the First Coast area level 2 trauma services this October.”
As Trauma Medical Director, Dr. Walsh will provide leadership and oversight of all components of OPMC’s trauma program including administrative and clinical responsibilities.
As a member of the trauma team, Dr. Walsh will treat patients in the hospital’s trauma resuscitation area, in the critical care unit and throughout trauma patients’ hospitalization. He is the first surgeon to join the trauma medical team OPMC is building. This medical team will include surgical and medical subspecialties, emergency medicine, anesthesiology and radiology.
Dr. Walsh, who starts his new role on April 18, will be employed by the University of South Florida (USF) and hold an academic appointment as Associate Professor at the USF College of Medicine. He will maintain a clinical practice in Orange Park to provide follow up care for trauma patients after they are released from the hospital.
Dr. Walsh brings to his new position more than 25 years of experience in the surgical trauma field. “We are extremely fortunate that Dr. Walsh will be joining us,” Lunde says. “His roles have included staff trauma surgeon, chief of surgical critical care, director of trauma and surgical critical care and assistant clinical professor of surgery at New York Medical College.”
Dr. Walsh comes to OPMC from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., where he has been Medical Director of Trauma at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center in. He is a fellow of the America College of Surgeons, a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery. He also serves on the Florida Committee on Trauma.
Dr. Walsh received his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock Texas. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the State of New York. His post graduate medical education included residencies in general and vascular surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, trauma surgery and cardiothoracic surgery. He also completed a fellowship in trauma and critical care at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY.
As Chief of Surgical Critical Care and Director of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at Sound Shore Medical Center Westchester, Dr. Walsh was instrumental in obtaining area trauma center designation for the medical center.
Orange Park Medical Center is part of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). In November, 2010, HCA and University of South Florida Health (USF) announced the formation of a statewide trauma network dedicated to improving access to quality trauma care and services in Florida.
The joint initiative will enable five HCA hospitals in Florida, including OPMC, to meet local needs for trauma services through an affiliation with a major academic university and medical school. Dr. Walsh will report to Jim Hurst, M.D., Chief Trauma Medical Director of the USF / HCA Trauma Network.
The combination of breadth of services at HCA throughout Florida with the research and education capabilities of one the fastest growing research medical schools will serve to make the citizens of Florida healthier and allow Florida to take a leadership role in the future of healthcare.