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The Minnesota Department of Health recently designated Welia Health as a level 4 Trauma Hospital. Welia Health and staff voluntarily participated in the intense designation process to become 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. Welia Health met standards of commitment, clinical and equipment resources, and staff training. The hospital also participates in a continuous performance improvement process.
Welia Health Emergency Department Physician and Trauma Medical Director, Jessica Olen, spoke on the topic, “Welia Health staff, from ambulance personnel, to lab and imaging technicians, to nurses and providers, work hard deliver lifesaving trauma care to our community. We are proud to be redesignated as a Level 4 Trauma Hospital.”
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.
“Injury is the leading cause of premature death in Minnesota,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. “The goal of the trauma system is to decrease injured patients’ time to care by making sure their medical needs are appropriately matched with hospital resources.
With the designation of Welia Health as a Level 4 Trauma Hospital, we are getting closer to our goal of ensuring that seriously injured Minnesotans have access to an organized system of trauma care wherever they are in the state.”
On average, trauma claims the lives of 4,300 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.