Bozeman Deaconess Trauma Center Earns Level III Verification

September 6, 2011

For the fourth time, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital has earned Level III Trauma Center verification by the American College of Surgeons as well as Montana Area Trauma Facility from the State Department of Health and Human Services. These achievements recognize the trauma center's dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

To qualify, hospitals must meet high trauma patient care, quality monitoring and case reporting standards. "Level III designation recognizes our trauma team's dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients," says R. James Majxner, MD, Bozeman Deaconess Emergency Services Medical Director. "We have Level III designation because we have a highly trained ER staff, state-of-the-art equipment and anesthesiology, surgery, radiology, lab and blood banking capabilities available 24 hours a day,"says Majxner.

Response time is critical to saving the lives of trauma victims. The on-call trauma team consists of trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, radiologists, lab and x-ray technicians, OR and ER nurses, in-patient pharmacists and spiritual care. The trauma team is activated from the field and assembled and ready prior to patient arrival. The team is available 24/7 and can be ready for multiple patients. Bozeman Deaconess also offers advanced emergency imaging and other state-of-the-art equipment to rapidly evaluate and treat trauma patients.

Garth Olds MD is the Director of Trauma Services at Bozeman Deaconess. "We pride ourselves on the fact that we are a Level III trauma center," he says. “Trauma centers offer better injury care, and have been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity as a result." Trauma Coordinator Sam Miller RN states “we work closely with other trauma hospitals throughout the northwest to ensure that our patients receive the most up-to-date care that is available at any part of the system.”

At the Bozeman Deaconess Trauma Center:

• Surgeons are on-call 24/7 and in the hospital within 30 minutes of notification that a critically injured patient is being transported to the emergency department.
• A helipad is available for patients needing transfer to tertiary trauma centers for specialized care such as neurosurgery or cardiac surgery. These patients will be stabilized by the trauma team prior to transport
• The physicians and nursing staff take specialized trauma courses throughout the year, and the trauma program spends hundreds of hours reviewing patient care with the goal of continuous improvement.
• State-of-the-art diagnostic and laboratory testing equipment are available.
• Family support is provided, including social work and spiritual care.
• The Emergency Department directs prehospital emergency medical services throughout the county, ensuring a consistent, high standard of care.
• Injury prevention and community outreach is provided to decrease injury frequency and severity.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College has over 72,000 members and it is the largest association of surgeons in the world. Longstanding achievements have placed the ACS in the forefront of American surgery and have made it an important advocate for all surgical patients. Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Committee on Trauma’s Consultation/Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide notonly the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. This spectrum encompasses the pre-hospital phase through the rehabilitation process.