Snoqualmie Valley Hospital (SVH) announced this week that the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) now recognizes it as a Trauma Level 5 Center, making the hospital now part of the statewide Trauma system. Snoqualmie Valley Hospital opened a new facility in May 2015 near the I-90/SR 18 interchange.
The Central Region EMS and Trauma Council unanimously voted to expand the number of Trauma Level 5 facilities by one, which opened the door for Snoqualmie Valley Hospital to get the designation. According to SVH CEO Tom Parker, the state had not added a new hospital to the trauma system in 10 years.
Via press release SVH said that with the DOH trauma designation, the hospital now joins the two other Eastside hospitals, Evergreen Health and Overlake Medical Center, in providing trauma services on the Eastside. Trauma designated hospitals are required to meet DOH established evidence-based standards, and participate in the trauma registry to support research and clinical education.
“We are pleased to now be designated as a Trauma Center joining other area hospitals in the Trauma Program. It is a recognition of the care and commitment Snoqualmie Valley Hospital has to provide emergency care to the residents of the Snoqualmie Valley,” said CEO Parker.
SVH had already been capable of treating moderate trauma – including fractures, dislocations, deep or extensive lacerations, falls, and other similar injuries – but the DOH designation now means that ambulances can take patients with injuries categorized as trauma to SVH if it’s the nearest hospital with the designation.
Parker stated via email, “Now that we are an official trauma facility, EMS can bring those patients here provided we are closer than taking patients to one of the other Eastside hospitals with trauma designation.”
Chris Barnhart, Manager of SVH Emergency and Trauma Services said, “We are grateful to our many partners in the provision of Trauma and Emergency services who have supported the Department of Health’s Trauma designation of our hospital. To us it is recognition of our clinical team for the care and treatment they have been providing for many years. As we worked with the Department of Health on trauma designation, we had the cooperation of many other hospitals and EMS providers including Harborview Medical Center, Overlake Medical Center, Snoqualmie Fire Department, Eastside Fire & Rescue and Medic One in Bellevue.”
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For those wondering what a Level 5 Trauma Hospital provides, here are the definitions of the 5 Trauma levels:
http://www.amtrauma.org/?page=TraumaLevels
Specifically, Level 5 provides; “A Level V Trauma Center provides initial evaluation, stabilization and diagnostic capabilities and prepares patients for transfer to higher levels of care.”
For comparison, Harborview is a Level 1 Trauma Center
Central Region Trauma Care Facilities are as follows:
Level I Trauma Center (Pediatric and Adult)
Harborview Medical Center
Level III Trauma Centers
Multicare Auburn Medical Center
EvergreenHealth Medical Center
Overlake Hospital Medical Center
Valley Medical Center
Level IV Trauma Centers
Highline Community Hospital
Northwest Hospital
St. Francis Hospital
Level V Trauma Center
St. Elizabeth Hospital
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital