Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) East and West have received Level IV Trauma Designation from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Bureau of Emergency Services and Trauma System. “This is confirmation of YRMC’s work to prepare for trauma designation,” said Irene Connor, RN, Director, Emergency Services, YRMC East.
YRMC joins the state’s trauma network, which includes 26 Level IV trauma centers at hospitals throughout Arizona. Using state-established criteria, trauma physicians and nurses from Level IV trauma centers may treat a trauma patient or determine the best level of care for the trauma patient. At YRMC, that means when a trauma alert is activated the hospital’s specially trained team assembles in five minutes or less.
“We’re ready to go when the patient arrives,” said Rob Barth, RN, MSN, MBA, CEN, Director, Emergency Services, at YRMC West. “We’re committed to ensuring the patient is treated here or transferred to a different level of care—sometimes while still in the field—during that first ‘golden hour.’”
YRMC’s trauma teams are comprised of six to 10 medical professionals, including:
- Emergency Physicians
- Emergency Nurses
- Emergency Department Technicians
- Cardiopulmonary (EKG) Technologists
- Phlebotomists
- Radiologic Technologists
- Respiratory Therapists
- Security Officers
Our nurses have completed trauma training and our physicians are board certified in Emergency Medicine or have earned Advanced Trauma Life Support certification,” said Christopher Thompson, RN, YRMC’s Trauma Coordinator.
To sustain YRMC’s Level IV trauma designation, Thompson will:
- Educate YRMC’s trauma team about current trends in trauma care;
- Pursue ongoing review of the trauma team’s performance; and
- Sponsor community education outreach programs to prevent trauma.
“This is a huge commitment for the hospital,” said Thompson. “It’s a testament to YRMC’s dedication to its Total Healing Environment