New River Medical Center's Emergency Department Receives a Level IV Trauma Designation
New River Medical Center’s emergency department was designated a Level IV Trauma center on March 2. The trauma designation team, lead by Emergency Services Medical Director, Dr. Mark Bonneville, Director of Emergency Services, Steve Schrupp and Trauma Coordinator, Lesley Wilson, worked for a year and a half to receive the designation, demonstrating New River Medical Center’s commitment to continuous improvement in order to deliver the highest quality care to patients in our community.
To receive the designation, the emergency department had to meet a variety of standards established by the Minnesota Department of Health including in-depth education requirements for physicians and nursing staff, commitment to public education and the assignment of a registered nurse dedicated to trauma. The emergency department team collaborated with several internal departments including administration, anesthesia, lab, orthopedics, radiology and surgery in order to successfully meet the State requirements. The process has resulted in a highly trained emergency staff and streamlined efficiency in the hospital’s trauma care. “We thought we had a good process before,” said Dr. Bonneville. “But working to acquire this designation, we have found several ways to make our trauma care to our patients even better.”
For a severly injured person, the time between sustaining an injury and receiving definitive care is the most important predictor of survival -- the "golden hour." The chance of survival diminishes with time; however, a trauma system enhances the chance of survival regardless of proximity to an urban trauma hospital.
"Trauma is the third leading cause of death in Minnesota," said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Sanne Magnan. "The goal of the trauma system is to decrease injured patients' time to care by making sure their medical needs are appropriately matched with hospital resources. With the designation of New River Medical Center as a Level IV Trauma hospital, we are getting closer to our goal of ensuring that seriously injured Minnesotans have access to an organized system of trauma care wherever they are in the state."