St. Luke’s McCall gets a Level IV trauma center

St. Luke’s McCall Medical Center has been designated as a Level IV trauma center, the only state-designated trauma center between Grangeville and Boise.

McCall is the first St. Luke’s Health System facility to achieve trauma center designation, though St. Luke’s is working toward creating a trauma network to include St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital in Boise, Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Meridian Medical Center in Meridian and St. Luke’s Wood River in Ketchum.

St. Luke’s Magic Valley submitted its application to become a Level III trauma center in August, St. Luke’s spokeswoman Anita Kissée said.

“St. Luke’s is looking into the opportunity to set up additional trauma programs based on the needs of our community,” said Sharon Chow, St. Luke’s health system director of trauma. “St. Luke’s believes it’s important that each of our facilities examine what the needs are in their communities.”

St. Luke’s McCall was already providing trauma-level care and had the equipment in place for Level IV before the Aug. 15 designation by the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency Council, which governs the statewide system of trauma, stroke and heart attack facilities, said Laura Crawford, public relations manager at St. Luke’s McCall.

The Level IV designation focuses on pre-hospital care, creating a trauma-specific hospital staff, and boosting coordination among the hospital, paramedics and personnel who transfer patients to higher-level trauma centers.

“This is only possible because of the collaboration of every department in the hospital, which allowed us to come together as an effective trauma team,” said Jill Morris-Chapman, St. Luke’s McCall trauma program coordinator.

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota have no Level I trauma centers, which are trauma centers in teaching and research hospitals. Level II trauma centers provide the same level of care as Level I, with Idaho’s Level II centers located at Saint Alphonsus Regional Health Center in Boise, Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene and Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

Idaho has one Level III trauma center in Lewiston and 11 Level IV centers in Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, Orofino, Cottonwood, Grangeville, McCall, Malad City, Arco, Rexburg, Salmon and Driggs, according to the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency System.

Idaho had no statewide trauma center system until the Legislature created the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency System in 2014. Previously, Saint Alphonsus (Boise), Kootenai Health, Eastern Idaho Regional and Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello had trauma centers verified by the American College of Surgeons and St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston had a trauma center designated by the state of Washington, according to Niki Forbing-Orr, spokeswoman for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.