UH Elyria receives level 3 trauma center designation

ELYRIA — University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center is now able to care for most trauma patients as a provisional level 3 adult trauma center, rather than just stabilizing them and sending them to other hospitals for treatment. The hospital announced the level 3 designation Tuesday. Shannon Swader, UH Hospitals system trauma operations manager, said most trauma patients no longer will have to travel out of the city for care. "We potentially could have been bypassed with patients, making their travel time to a trauma center longer," she said. "We would like to keep those patients near home and receive their trauma care near home as opposed to out of the county." The state of Ohio awarded the designation after an evaluation and recommendation by the American College of Surgeons. "It took us about a year and a half of preparation," Swader said. "There is data collection, there is a quality improvement process, there is commitment from a surgical panel, from an orthopedic panel, administrative support budgetary-wise and a commitment from the the team here to be available 24/7." Trauma centers range from level 5 to level 1, with 1 being highest and best-equipped. Ohio only recognizes levels 3 through 1, Swader said. A level 3 trauma center is required to meet standards including having continuous general surgical coverage, being capable of managing initial care for most injured patients, having patient transfer agreements with higher level trauma hospitals, being involved in injury prevention and holding education programs for trauma nurses, physicians and allied health care workers. The hospital defines trauma as a situation in which a mechanism causes an injury. That includes anything from a laceration to internal bleeding or a high-speed car crash, Swader said. The majority of trauma patients will be treatable at UH Elyria. "We really are able to keep 85 (percent) to 90 (percent) of our trauma patients in house as opposed to transferring them," she said. Patients who require higher levels of trauma care would be stabilized and transported to a different facility. UH Cleveland Medical Center, for example, is a level 1 adult trauma care facility. The provisional status of the designation means the hospital has not yet received its official confirmation visit from the American College of Surgeons. A final review is expected in September. After that, it will have to renew the verification every three years. "It's pretty progressive. Every three years, we have to continue elevating the care delivery," Swader said. "It's not a status quo process. It needs to continue to evolve and improve." The designation helps Elyria residents, Mayor Frank Whitfield said. "Being able to keep people inside the city, that's critical," he said. "When you think about trauma, this is probably one of the most difficult times in people's lives, and you want to be close to home. "This institution has such a strong legacy in this city. It's exciting to see the continued growth and we're looking forward to working with them," he added. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.