- Intermountain Health's American Fork Hospital moved from Level IV to Level III for trauma care.
- The hospital is well-equipped to stabilize patients and determine if they need a higher-level care.
- The American College of Surgeon's Committee on Trauma sets standards for care.
Intermountain Health’s American Fork Hospital has been designated a Level III Trauma Center by the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services in the Utah Department of Public Safety.
The designation means the hospital meets criteria for handling trauma care as set forth by the American College of Surgeon’s Committee on Trauma.
Per the college, Level III typically is given to a community hospital that has been assessed and has proven it can handle mild to moderate injuries, including being able to provide evaluation quickly and stabilize patients, as well as transfer them to more advanced-care-capable centers if the needs exceed what’s available.
There are multiple tiers of trauma centers, with Level I being the highest level of capability, able to provide comprehensive trauma care for all injuries. Utah has three of those: Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City and University of Utah Hospital and Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
The American Fork hospital was previously a Level IV trauma center. Each designation relies on careful assessment and onsite review by a team of experienced evaluators. This designation is good for three years.
The Intermountain American Fork Hospital cares for more than 700 trauma patients a year, including patients who are seen for bicycle accidents, falls and car and motorcycle crashes. Those with critical injuries that are more specialized than the hospital can manage are sent to hospitals capable of higher levels of care.
Intermountain Health in a news release reported that the Level III verification “means that Intermountain Health American Fork Hospital provides prompt assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care and stability of injured patients and emergency operations — including 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and rapid support by general surgeons and anesthesiologists."
“This verification only reiterates the fact that American Fork Hospital is committed to do what is necessary to provide care to patients in our community,” Jason Wilson, the hospital’s president, said in a written statement. “I’m so proud of our trauma team and their decision to the health and well-being of patients in our community.”
“The American Fork Hospital trauma team is grateful for the strong relationships with our local emergency medical services across the community,” Kourtney Dinehart, a registered nurse and the trauma program director for the hospital, said in the news release. “It’s that teamwork that helps us meet and exceed these national standards and provide quality care to our patients.”