The Minnesota Department of Health recently re-designated Ridgeview Sibley Medical Center as a Level 4 trauma hospital. The facility and staff participated in an intense designation process—which occurs every three years—to remain part of Minnesota’s statewide trauma system.
The process included an outside review of the hospital’s resources and capabilities to care for trauma patients. Ridgeview Sibley met the standards of commitment, clinical and equipment resources and staff training. The hospital also participates in a continuous performance improvement process.
“We are very pleased to have been re-designated as a Level 4 trauma hospital. This process has helped us to provide more complete and efficient patient care while simultaneously enhancing our data gathering and performance improvement processes. This program, coupled with the renovated Emergency Department space, will ensure that Ridgeview Sibley Medical Center continues to offer the highest quality trauma care immediately for our community,” said Matthew Herold, MD, Emergency Medicine, and Medical Director, Ridgeview Sibley Medical Center.
For a severely injured person, the time between sustaining an injury and receiving definitive care is the most important predictor of survival—the “golden hour.” The chance of survival diminishes with time; however, a trauma system enhances the chance of survival regardless of proximity to an urban trauma hospital.
On average, trauma claims the lives of 2,400 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, see the Minnesota Statewide Trauma System site at www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/traumasystem/
