Level IV Certification allows Intermountain LDS Hospital to provide increased level of care to community
Intermountain LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City is in the process of achieving a Level IV trauma certification from the Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services to enhance trauma care close to home.
Earning a Level IV trauma center designation certifies that LDS Hospital is able to provide advanced trauma life support to evaluate and stabilize patients before transferring them to a larger hospital with a higher-level trauma designation or for more specialized services, if needed.
“LDS Hospital has long been known for its high standards of care, safety, quality, and overall excellence,” said Caroline Vines, MD, chair of Intermountain LDS Hospital Emergency Department. “The certification is a formality on some level, but most importantly, it will provide educational opportunities and requirements for staff to advance their expertise in trauma care, and we have found that these processes have a ‘halo effect’ to improve care for other critically ill non trauma patients who might require services such as massive transfusion or intensive resuscitation.”
LDS Hospital was Intermountain’s flagship trauma center before Intermountain Medical Center was built in Murray in 2007. Since then, LDS Hospital has continued to receive and care for patients with a variety of traumatic injuries.
The majority of injuries seen in the emergency department are motorize vehicle accidents, falls, bike accidents and assaults, although the department is prepared to care for anything that walks in the doors.
Level IV trauma centers must meet strict criteria showing caregivers can evaluate, stabilize, diagnose, and be equipped to provide advanced trauma life support at all times.
LDS Hospital is well integrated with Intermountain’s many trauma services, including Life Flight air medical program and TeleHealth hospital services, servicing the communities of downtown Salt Lake City, the Avenues, southern Davis County, Tooele County and out to the Utah/Nevada state line.
“For patients needing specialized advanced care, LDS Hospital caregivers will rapidly assess and stabilize patients and function as the entry point to Intermountain’s full system of integrated specialty care,” said Jay Larsen, RN, emergency nurse manager for Intermountain LDS Hospital. “This certification will assure that the best resources are at the bedside of the patients and will enable some LDS patients to receive trauma care closer to home.”
Patients seen in the Emergency Department for a stroke, heart attack, or trauma go through a set of standardized procedures and in a timely manner. Those established protocols ensure the hospital maintains a high bar when it comes to patient care.
Intermountain LDS Hospital is also well known for and recognized for its excellent relationships with emergency medical services, first responders and other community partners, said Larsen.
The certification will also offer opportunities for community outreach, including “stop the bleed” courses and “stepping up” courses, a falls prevention course for our elderly members of the community.
The Level IV designation is awarded after an extensive review and survey by the bureau and is re-evaluated every three years.
Other required elements of Level IV trauma centers include:
- Basic emergency department facilities which can implement advanced trauma life support (ATLS) protocols and 24-hour laboratory coverage
- Trauma nurses and physicians available upon patient arrival
- Surgical and critical-care services
- Transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care
- Comprehensive quality assessment program
- Prevention efforts and outreach programs for the community
About Intermountain Healthcare
Headquartered in Utah with locations in eight states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called SelectHealth with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs.