Regional West Trauma Medical Director and Trauma Program Manager Earn Joseph Stothert, MD, PhD, Legacy Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Trauma

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Regional West Trauma Medical Director Rommie Hughes, MD, FACS, RPVI, and Trauma Program Manager Susan Wilson, RN, BSN, have each earned the Joseph Stothert, MD, PhD Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Trauma. Both Hughes and Wilson also serve on the State Trauma Advisory Board. 

Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Legacy Award honors individuals (current or retired) who have demonstrated dedication to the development and ongoing support of the Nebraska Trauma System. The award recognizes a distinguished career and visionary leadership dedicated to the prevention of injuries, advancement in trauma care, and a lifelong commitment to the care of trauma patients.

Dr. Hughes was nominated by his peers and received the Legacy Award in 2022, recognizing his willingness to lead continued training opportunities after Dr. Stothert’s passing and his desire and willingness to give his time to continue to educate other physicians and providers. The nomination emphasized Dr. Hughes’ responsiveness to opportunities to educate as well as his empathy, expertise, quick wit, and humility. 

“It’s an honor because Dr. Stothert was one of my mentors and he’s the one who started the state trauma program,” said Dr. Hughes, a surgeon with Regional West Physicians Clinic-Surgery, Vascular Diagnostics. “Being honored as an initial winner means a lot to me, not just personally, but it’s nice that they recognize what people in western Nebraska are doing. The award highlights Regional West’s dedication to trauma care in the region and shows we have the resources, education, and ability to take care of trauma patients for the smaller hospitals that we service.”

Within the Nebraska Statewide Trauma System, Dr. Hughes serves as the State Trauma Region IV Trauma medical director and is one of the physician reviewers who travels to different hospitals to determine their qualifications for inclusion in the network.

Wilson received the Legacy Award in March. She has been involved in trauma care/administration/education for over 30 years. During that time, she has worked with all aspects of trauma services, serving as the Wyoming interim state Emergency Medical Services (EMS) director, the Wyoming state trauma program director, Emergency Room (ER) nurse, floor nurse, nurse manager, chief nursing officer, and is currently Regional West’s trauma program manager. Wilson also travels to different hospitals and serves as a state nurse reviewer for hospital trauma designation.

Wilson’s nomination underscored her tireless work ethic and being a strong vocal advocate and promoter of Nebraska’s Statewide Trauma System. She was recognized for spending countless hours traversing Wyoming and Nebraska conducting hospital reviews, stop the bleed courses, and mentoring young nurses and providers, as well as for her wit, resourcefulness, and dependability.

“I am very honored to receive this award,” she said. “It is extra special to me since it is the Dr. Stothert award. He was an amazing man, as well as an amazing physician, and I learned so much from him! He came to western Nebraska twice a year to teach, and that is when I got to know him so well – he really cared about rural Nebraska.”  

Regional West Trauma Services offers the region’s most technologically advanced, complete emergency and trauma care. As Nebraska’s only Level II Trauma Center west of Kearney, our expert surgeons and specialists are available 24/7. Regional West’s Trauma Services team works closely with the region’s critical access hospitals, as well as pre-hospital services, including volunteer basic life support services, Emergency Medical Services, and the Air Link flight service. 

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.