How to Use Your Trauma Registry Data to Secure Funding

Trauma registry data can hold the key to addressing team inefficiencies and gaps in care that require financial investment. Read this guide to learn how to leverage trauma data to build a case for funding and apply for grants that drive long-term improvements in trauma care, public health and safety, and trauma registry team performance and satisfaction.

In this blog, we’ll review how to prepare to approach leadership for support and apply for a grant if you can’t source internal funding. We’ll also show you how to leverage a successful grant to gain long-term buy-in from hospital administration.

Step 1: Identify the Problem

We operate on evidence-based practices. You likely know of an operational issue that could be improved with supplemental funding—be it additional staffing or more efficient tools—but you must prove it with data. Use your trauma registry and EHR data to identify gaps in care or operational inefficiencies. Compare your performance with data from trauma organizations such as the ACS, as well as local municipalities, states, and counties.

And the Solution

Analyzing your data will help you quantify, explain, and, most importantly, formulate a solution. When appealing for funding from a grant organization or hospital leadership, you can’t just point to the problem—you must propose a solution you want funded.

This is an excellent opportunity to partner with other trauma teams to improve patient care. In addition to reviewing registry performance, analyze trauma treatments and outcomes as you do for PI. Together, you can make a compelling case to leadership.

Step 2: Engage Hospital Administration

Before applying for a grant, it’s crucial to engage hospital administration from the start. They will be invaluable partners in the grant process (or you may even secure the funding you need internally).

Tell a Story

Present your findings and proposal to stakeholders with a compelling narrative that includes clear evidence of need and a strategic justification for resources. Connect the dots between the issue and your proposed solution in a way leadership understands.

Highlight the potential financial impact of your proposal, including benefits such as reducing poor-quality care, capturing missed reimbursement opportunities, or improving staff satisfaction.

Think Big Picture

Decision-makers will want to see how your proposal aligns with the health system’s goals and practices. How can it increase access to care or improve staff retention? How will your solution support research initiatives or the hospital’s mission statement?

Plan Together

Hospitals have countless immediate priorities, so your administration may not be able to fund your proposal directly. However, you can partner with them to plan for the future, using outside funding as proof of concept.

Apply for a grant to fund your proposal in the short term and gain buy-in for long-term commitment. Many grant applications require you to demonstrate how your initiative will be sustained after the grant ends. Will your hospital take over financial responsibility once the grant runs its course?

Step 3: Apply for a Grant

There are many trauma program grants offered by trauma organizations and local or national government agencies. These can be found through online searches. Look for grants that align with your specific needs, such as staffing, equipment, research, or operations.

Leverage Your Network

In addition to searching grant databases, leverage your professional network and relationships. Community partners and other allies can help identify funding opportunities and provide letters of recommendation, which are often required for grant applications.

Build Your Team

Applying for a grant takes a lot of teamwork. Beyond your immediate team, you may need input from administration and data from various departments, such as HR for staffing grants, potentially with IT’s support. Each health system has unique processes, so your approach may vary.

Some health systems employ grant writers who can craft compelling proposals using your expertise and data. If this resource isn’t available, consider hiring a freelance grant writer or writing the proposal yourself. Many trauma program managers choose to create their own grant proposals.

Step 4: Secure the Grant and Appeal to Leadership

Even with initial buy-in, continued investment is not guaranteed. You’ll need to demonstrate your results. Show how your proposal aligns with the hospital’s strategic goals. Highlight the funding’s impact on the health system as a whole, addressing both immediate and long-term needs. Why should the hospital prioritize this initiative?

Step 5: Keep Learning

Whether or not you receive the grant, the process offers a valuable learning opportunity. Grant agencies typically provide feedback and a score for your application. Use this feedback to refine future proposals. If your application receives a high score, you’ll know you have a strong proposal to reuse for other grants.

Learn from others who have successfully navigated this process. For example, see how a Level I trauma center in Cleveland, OH, leveraged trauma registry data to: