Advanced Trauma Life Support at CAMC
Steven Eshenaur , D . O ., MBA , executive director and health officer at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department , is a volunteer instructor for the Advanced Trauma Life Support ( ATLS ) course at Charleston Area Medical Center ( CAMC ). CAMC offers a variety of courses through its Integrated Health Education Center to advance the skills of health care providers across West Virginia .
“ Advanced Trauma Life Support is a two-day course covering the essential skills surgeons and emergency physicians need to manage the acute phase of trauma ,” Eshenaur says .
The course is also open to physician assistants , nurse practitioners and other physician extenders who can earn continuing education credits while honing their abilities to care for trauma patients .
“ In addition to classroom work , students are taught critical lifesaving skills , such as chest tube placement , central line patient and intubation ,” Eshenaur says . “ ATLS is a required course for all surgeons and providers working in an emergency department . Quickly and accurately identifying injuries , providing immediate stabilization and performing lifesaving procedures are essential tasks that , when implemented by a trained provider , have been shown to greatly improve the saving of lives .”
Eshenaur values his role as an instructor in a course where he is instilling lifesaving knowledge into his students using his extensive background in both emergency medicine and military service .
“ Volunteering as an instructor is important as I ' m able to share innumerable experiences as an emergency room physician and military physician with multiple deployments ,” Eshenaur says .
ATLS is a pivotal course because it provides health care professionals with the important knowledge and techniques to evaluate , treat and manage trauma patients — skills that save lives every day .
new knowledge , Eshenaur transitioned into public health , where he now makes a broad impact on the health of West Virginia communities . As the executive director and health officer of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department , Eshenaur influences public health at both the local and state level , and he works tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of West Virginians .
Part of this work includes mentoring and teaching the next generation of health care professionals . Additionally , Eshenaur volunteers as an instructor
for Advanced Trauma Life Support at CAMC and teaches law enforcement personnel first aid skills to manage traumatic injuries .
Eshenaur hasn ’ t only changed lives through his military service and career in medicine — he is also a devoted husband and father . His greatest pride comes from his family , and he feels s uccess is measured by what you give instead of what you get .
“ My wife and I made the decision to open our home to children who needed a home ,” he says . “ In addition to our two children , we adopted four children and had many others that spent months to years in our home . We keep in contact with most of them to this day . Success is seeing them realize their potential even when the odds were against them .”
To Eshenaur , family isn ’ t just defined by blood ; it extends to the community he serves .
“ Having grown up in West Virginia , my heart has always been here . The saying ‘ family is the tie that binds ’ applies to how I feel about my fellow West Virginians ,” says Eshenaur . “ They are my family and will always bind me to the Mountain State . Living here , caring for our citizens and raising our kids in West Virginia has been a blessing to me both personally and professionally . West Virginia will always be home .” •
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