SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 Utah) - The Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services has re-certified Intermountain LDS Hospital as a Level IV trauma center to enhance trauma care close to home.

Earning a Level IV trauma center designation certifies that Intermountain LDS Hospital can provide advanced trauma life support to evaluate and stabilize patients before transferring them to a higher-level trauma hospital 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 Erica Colvin, MD, trauma medical director of Intermountain LDS Hospital’s Emergency Department. “The certification is a formality on some level, but most importantly, it provides educational opportunities and requirements for staff to advance their expertise in trauma care.”

“We’ve 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,” Dr. Colvin added.

Intermountain 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.

Most injuries seen in the emergency department are motorized vehicle accidents, falls, bike accidents and assaults, although the department is prepared to care for any patient.

Level IV trauma centers must meet strict criteria showing caregivers can evaluate, stabilize, diagnose, and are equipped to always provide advanced trauma life support.

Intermountain LDS Hospital is well integrated with Intermountain’s many trauma services, including Intermountain Life Flight air medical transport program and Intermountain Telehealth hospital services.

“For patients needing specialized advanced care, Intermountain 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 Dr. Colvin. “This certification assures that the best resources are at the bedside of the patients and enables some of our 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.

The Level IV Trauma certification also offers 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 received after an extensive review and survey by the bureau and is re-evaluated every three years.

Visit IntermountainHealth.org for more information.

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