Regional West Set to Change Trauma Level Designation

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Regional West is initiating the process to change its State of Nebraska trauma level designation from a Level II to a Level III Trauma Center.

Nebraska has four trauma level designations, ranging from Level I to Level IV. Currently, there is one Level I Trauma Center, three Level II centers, seven Level III centers, and 39 Level IV centers in the state. Regional West is currently designated as a Level II Trauma Center, along with two other facilities in the central and eastern part of the state, but it will soon transition to a Level III designation. With this change, Regional West will join seven other Level III Trauma Centers, all of which are located east of North Platte. Regional West will remain the only trauma center in the state west of North Platte.

"We want our patients and the regional community to know that, despite changing to a Level III Trauma Center, Regional West's trauma program will continue to provide immediate, lifesaving care. Our approach to trauma cases remains unchanged,” said Rommie Hughes, MD, FACS, RPVI, Regional West medical director of Trauma Services. “Changing to a Level III Trauma Center will ultimately impact very few trauma patients. As always, if a higher level of care is necessary, we will coordinate transferring the patient to a higher level of care.”

Ned Resch, Regional West President and CEO, said the decision is the result of multiple factors, including reviewing the true healthcare needs of the region and what is fiscally responsible for Regional West to provide.

“By adjusting our trauma designation to a Level III, which in part reduces the 24/7 call requirements for certain specialties, we can continue strengthening the services that matter most to our patients, without compromising emergency care,” said Resch.

Regional West will continue to offer a comprehensive range of primary and specialty care services. Offerings include trauma services, urgent and emergency care, such as air ambulance and ground emergency medical services, as well as primary care, pediatrics, orthopaedics, cancer care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, psychiatry and behavioral health, and obstetrics and birthing services. Regional West also offers a variety of advanced imaging, laboratory, blood donation, pulmonology, skin, general surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, pain management, and urology services. You can view the complete list of services available at RWHS.org.

“We are committed to and will continue to provide primary care and a wide offering of specialty care as we do currently for not only Scottsbluff and Gering, but the region. However, some specialized services may not be on call 24/7 as we are required to do as a Level II Trauma Center. We are expanding our clinics by opening a Rheumatology clinic next month, and we have recently extended the hours of the Psychiatry & Behavioral Health clinic,” said Serozan Amroliwalla, MD, Regional West Chief Medical Officer.

“Regional West is the leader of trauma care in the region, and we understand the importance of offering lifesaving services. Our dedication extends beyond delivering essential trauma and emergency care; we also aim to enhance the patient experience by consistently offering high-quality care across our primary and specialty clinics,” said Resch. “That is one reason it is essential for healthcare systems to continually assess the services they provide to ensure they effectively meet patient needs while remaining financially responsible. The trauma designation is one area we felt we could change while still offering specialty services without the 24/7 call coverage requirement for some services.”

About Regional West
Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Nebraska is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. Since 1924, Regional West has served the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming through innovative healthcare services. As the region’s sole tertiary medical center, Regional West offers an expansive array of medical specialties and numerous physician clinics.