With a critical ACS trauma verification on the horizon and a 170+ chart backlog, St. Joseph’s University Medical Center needed a partner who could step in fast, help stabilize operations, and drive results. With ADN’s support, they didn’t just get caught up—they set a new benchmark.
When Jeanie Kenneally, Trauma Program Manager at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, assumed leadership of the trauma program in 2022, she stepped into a role with significant opportunity for optimization. The program was in transition, and several challenges needed attention ahead of a high-stakes ACS site visit.
The previous vendor relationship had become strained, abstraction responsibilities were unclear, and a backlog of more than 170 trauma cases had built up. The registry team was at capacity, operational processes were inconsistent, and the looming verification review added urgency and pressure across the organization.“We had abstractors stretched too thin and no clear ownership. Everyone felt the pressure,” Kenneally said.
While internal hiring was considered, the limited available resources and the importance of the upcoming ACS review prompted St. Joseph’s to explore outside help. ADN emerged as a potential solution, but as a new vendor for this high-volume, high-acuity program, Kenneally understandably approached the transition with careful consideration. “Even if we could have hired people, we wouldn’t have had the consistency or the systems in place to move this quickly. ADN had all of that ready to go.”
Instead of using clinical resources to chase charts and monitor deadlines, St. Joseph’s could reallocate them toward performance improvement and staff development.
“What ADN gave us was stability and structure right when we needed it. It was more than outsourcing—it was taking something off our plate so we could focus forward.”
Jeanie Kenneally
Trauma Program Manager
St. Joseph’s University Medical Center
ADN’s experience supporting trauma centers with timely abstraction, IRR standards, and regulatory alignment made them a strong candidate. What sealed the decision was ADN’s ability to provide immediate, structured support, including registry recovery, abstraction quality control, and integrated reporting.“I was anxious at first. ADN hadn’t supported a trauma program of this scale. But they came in structured, responsive, and ready. It gave me confidence,” Kenneally said.
The onboarding process took just a few sessions and included clear alignment on ACS guidelines, abstraction protocols, and internal documentation preferences. Internal training was handled by ADN, and communications were streamlined through a dedicated account lead.
Kenneally sees ADN’s account lead model as a strength. Rather than managing abstractors directly, she values the clarity and efficiency that come with ADN overseeing the day-to-day work. It frees up her time while still ensuring alignment, accountability, and responsiveness, all through a single, reliable point of contact.
ADN’s model minimized disruption and added structure. The entire case backlog was cleared well before the ACS review year began. Prompt abstraction was introduced, allowing the team to keep pace in real time, while standardized documentation practices ensured consistency across records.
With ADN handling the abstraction workload, the trauma team was able to refocus on clinical operations and meaningful quality improvement. Kenneally emphasized that ADN’s consistent engagement and responsiveness played a key role in building trust and elevating day-to-day performance across the program.
This transformation wasn’t just about compliance; it was about empowering the trauma program with data they could trust and act on. The ability to make informed decisions, demonstrate results to leadership, and continuously improve clinical performance began with having accurate, timely registry data. ADN delivered on every front.
St. Joseph’s Trauma Program, Supported by ADN:
With abstraction stabilized, Kenneally and her team were able to use their registry data proactively. One of the first issues they uncovered: inconsistent documentation of comorbidities was negatively affecting risk-adjusted mortality rates.
ADN’s team investigated, retrained abstractors, and performed a retroactive correction and resubmission of all relevant data without disruption to daily operations. In addition, ADN’s analytics team worked closely with the trauma program to develop customized monthly reports that:
With ADN managing abstraction, St. Joseph’s trauma team could step away from daily oversight and instead refocus on advancing program-level work. The regained bandwidth allowed Kenneally to concentrate more on performance improvement efforts and strategic alignment across departments.
She noted that with ADN handling abstraction, she didn’t have to worry about meeting registry requirements, giving her confidence in the program’s operations and data integrity.
“ADN understands not just data, but how trauma programs work. They’re not just a vendor—they’re a consultative partner.”
Jeanie Kenneally
Trauma Program Manager
St. Joseph’s University Medical Center
If St. Joseph’s considers pursuing Level I designation, the demands on their trauma registry operations may grow significantly. Level I centers must demonstrate not only data quality and case closure compliance but also evidence of meaningful research contributions and community impact.
ADN is helping lay the groundwork for these elevated expectations. This includes building out abstraction protocols for more granular data elements, incorporating research flags into the registry workflow, and providing guidance on IRB data requests and reporting structures that align with TQIP and ACS metrics.
The trauma program has begun piloting enhanced reporting templates that link registry data to surgical outcomes, supporting both performance improvement and academic initiatives. Each quarter, ADN’s analytics director gathers and analyzes key metrics to uncover emerging trends. Kenneally and her team then meet with ADN’s account lead to review these insights and identify findings suitable for publication. Together, these efforts are not only preparing the hospital for Level I designation—they’re redefining how data is used to drive clinical excellence.
Kenneally and her team are partnering with ADN to build out the infrastructure that will support:
“We’re not just maintaining—we’re leveling up. ADN is helping us think and operate like a Level I trauma center before we even get there.”
Jeanie Kenneally
Trauma Program Manager
St. Joseph’s University Medical Center
While the journey to Level I is ongoing, St. Joseph’s is already thinking two steps ahead. As part of their preparation, they are leading efforts to align trauma documentation workflows across departments—including nursing, ED, and surgical services—to ensure data capture is seamless and supports both compliance and performance goals.
In collaboration with ADN, the team is also preparing for a major system transition from ESO to ImageTrend. This upgrade will allow for even more customization, integration with clinical systems, and advanced analytics. ADN’s experience with ImageTrend is helping to shape the configuration and rollout, ensuring continuity in abstraction and reporting through the change. Beyond this single project, ADN’s breadth of experience across many vendor tools means hospitals benefit from a partner that already understands the nuances of new platforms. Where internal teams may only be familiar with their current system, ADN almost always has specialists who have worked in the tools organizations are transitioning to—reducing learning curves, smoothing adoption, and ensuring data quality from day one.
Finally, Kenneally and her team are also exploring ways to integrate trauma registry data with other institutional dashboards to provide executives with clearer, system-wide visibility into trauma trends and improvement opportunities. With ADN’s partnership, the trauma program is positioned not only for ACS success but also for long-term leadership in trauma care.
Our support extended beyond transactional abstraction. ADN took the time to understand St. Joseph’s goals, pain points, and workflows, offering guidance that was both technically sound and operationally feasible. The difference was felt across the trauma program, and Kenneally’s advice to peers is simple: invest in a partner, not just a product.“ADN is professional and reliable, and that makes my job easier. They became part of our team when we needed it most, and honestly, since onboarding, it’s been far better than I expected. They’ve far exceeded my expectations.”
Outsourcing trauma registry abstraction to ADN is a strategic move for trauma leaders who are stretched thin, facing regulatory demands, or preparing for the next level of verification. As Jeanie Kenneally and her team at St. Joseph’s experienced, the shift to ADN unlocked critical capacity, boosted confidence, and positioned them for long-term growth.
You may not realize how much time and energy you spend managing abstraction logistics until you’re no longer responsible for it. With ADN, that oversight burden is lifted. You can reclaim hours, gain visibility, and build momentum.
Instead of chasing charts or managing backlogs, you can focus on quality improvement, analytics, staff development, and preparing for ACS visits with confidence. And if you’re unsure about a full transition, consider starting with just one registry or measure. Most clients quickly expand once they see the impact.
Whatever hesitation you’re holding onto, ADN has a proven framework to support your transition seamlessly. We’ll meet your program where it is today and help you build for tomorrow.
The result? More clarity. More capacity. More meaningful work for your team.
Let ADN take the weight off your shoulders so you can move your program forward. Connect with us today to learn how ADN can help you stabilize your registry, support your staff, and strengthen your outcomes.
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