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Trauma Center
As the most experienced trauma center in Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern
Nevada, Saint Alphonsus has a long history of caring for the seriously ill
and injured. Although many hospitals and clinics care for anyone who is injured,
the Saint Alphonsus Trauma Center has been committed to caring for the critically
injured for many decades. This commitment brings a level of medical responsiveness
that is unmatched in the state.
What is a Trauma Center?
A trauma center is a system of care within an acute
care hospital (such as Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center), which provides
an organized systematic response of healthcare professionals to treat adults
or children who are critically injured.
The care of the critically injured is a team approach.
It is led by a general surgeon, with special training in trauma, or a "trauma surgeon." The
trauma surgeon is in charge of the team—including emergency physicians, orthopaedic
surgeons, neurosurgeons and other specialists—and organizes the most effective
and appropriate response to an individual who has been injured.
The Difference Between a
Trauma Center and Other Hospitals
Saint
Alphonsus's Trauma Center represents a continuum of care that incorporates the
rapid, critical care response of Life Flight: the Emergency Department; comprehensive,
multi-specialty surgical expertise including neuroscience, trauma and orthopaedics;
critical care units; and a spinal cord accredited acute rehabilitation center,
as well as the state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technologies that
are integrated throughout each of these centers.
The expertise and resources of all these services working together to advance the healing of patients and help them make a successful recovery, plus strong efforts toward prevention and safety education, are what make a quality Trauma Center.
Having this strong critical care backbone, plus the support of other services,
such as cancer, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatal intensive care unit and heart
and vascular centers, enables Saint Alphonsus to deliver unparalleled patient
care in the region.
Our Responsibilities
Our responsibility as a Trauma Center continues by providing
safety prevention and awareness within the community. We sponsor the following:
- Every 15 Minutes: A two-day event that offers teenagers real-life experience with drunken driving without the real-life risks and dramatically instills teenagers with the potentially dangerous consequences of drinking alcohol. It also gives parents a realistic view of the impact such tragic actions would have on their family.
- Helmet Safety: Saint Alphonsus, through the BHM Foundation for Recreational Safety, offers free helmets to kids.
- IBelt: Primary seatbelt legislation
- ThinkFirst: Head trauma safety
- Play It Safe: Playground safety
- Child Seat Safety Check: Car seat safety
- ENCARE: Drunken driving prevention
- Trauma Roo: Bike safety / 911
- Public Service Announcements: Helmet safety, drunk driving, seatbelts, gun safety, snowmobile safety, water safety
For more information on any of these programs, please contact Saint Alphonsus Trauma Outreach at 208-367-7676.
More Information
To aid in properly diagnosing and treating any condition you may have, be sure to bring a list of medications, allergies and contact information of your personal physicians.
