Riverwood’s Emergency Department team, L to R, Aaron Nordstrom, Andrew VanSanten, Dr. Jeff Ehnstrom, Mali Wasserzieher, Kylie Mindrum, Kelsey Guthmiller and Elizabeth Parks
The Minnesota Department of Health recently recertified Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin as a Level III Trauma hospital. After participating in an intense training process to become part of Minnesota’s statewide trauma system, the Aitkin County hospital earned its initial designation in December 2006 and was the first rural hospital in Minnesota to achieve the Level III designation.
“Riverwood has a strong commitment to caring for trauma patients where rapid medical response is critical to saving lives,” says Dr. Jim Harris, Riverwood Emergency Department medical director and Trauma Program medical director. “Through the statewide trauma system, we participate in continuous performance improvement activities and staff training, ensuring that all our ED nurses and physicians are recertified in advanced lifesaving and trauma care annually. Congratulations to our Riverwood team for this big achievement of continuous trauma center designation over 17 years.”
The Minnesota trauma system features four levels of care with varying degrees of resources available at hospitals. Levels I and II hospitals have the most trauma care resources. These are typically high-volume trauma centers with many surgical subspecialties immediately available at the hospital. Level III and Level IV hospitals demonstrate a commitment to providing high quality trauma care with respect to the resources they have available. Level III trauma centers have surgeons readily available to the hospital but generally lack other surgery subspecialties. Level IV hospitals are not required to have surgery services.
For a severely injured person, the time between sustaining an injry and receiving definitive care is the most important predictor of survival—called the “golden hour”. The chance of survival diminishes with time. A strong local trauma center enhances the chance of survival, regardless of proximity to an urban hospital offering a higher level of trauma care.
“Injury is a leading cause of premature death in Minnesota,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. “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.”
On average, trauma claims the lives of 4,300 Minnesotans annually. States with trauma systems have seen survival rates increase by 15 to 20 percent. Wide-scale participation in the voluntary trauma system ensures that a statewide, cooperative effort is in place to care for seriously injured patients. For more information, go to https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/traumasystem/index.html
