Regional West Trauma Services Earns Four-Year Reaccreditation as a Level II Trauma Center

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Regional West recently earned reaccreditation as a Level II Trauma Center by the State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The designation recognizes Regional West’s continuing dedication to providing emergent critical care for the region’s trauma patients.

When patients from western Nebraska, northern Colorado, and eastern Wyoming are injured and require immediate trauma care, having access to a Level II Trauma Center can be lifesaving. Regional West is one of just three Level II Trauma Centers in the state, and the only one west of Kearney. The program has been a verified Level II Trauma Center since 1996.

A highly trained, dedicated trauma team, including trauma surgeons; neurosurgeons; emergency physicians; orthopaedic surgeons; anesthesiologists; ear, nose, and throat surgeons; obstetricians; plastic surgeon; radiologists; and more, is available 24/7 for complex, severe injuries requiring immediate medical attention across the spectrum of medical and surgical specialties.

“As a Level II Trauma Center, the region’s residents can be reassured that when a trauma occurs, they will receive the best care possible, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Regional West,” said Rommie Hughes, MD, FACS, RPVI, one of the trauma surgeons at Regional West Physicians Clinic-Surgery, Vascular Diagnostics, and the medical director for Regional West Trauma Services.

The DHHS review team lauded Regional West’s trauma program as “exemplary” for its use of whole blood during trauma situations. As one of the smallest hospitals in the U.S. to offer this lifesaving resource, Regional West’s Air Link helicopter team can reduce the time to treatment by administering whole blood (which includes red blood cells, platelets, and plasma) at the scene and during transport to patients with life-threatening bleeding. Whole blood reduces the number of complications, time spent in the hospital, and blood products the trauma patient will need to receive.

The implementation of the whole blood project reflects the commitment by Regional West Medical Center to provide an extraordinary level of care and technology, but the success is thanks to individuals who help save the lives of their fellow community members by donating blood through western Nebraska Blood Center.

As a vital component of Regional West’s trauma program, the Air Link air ambulance service, including a helicopter and airplane, allows rapid transport of critically injured patients to the trauma center when distance or remote location is a factor

The review team also recognized Dr. Hughes and Susan Wilson, RN, BSN, Regional West’s trauma program manager, as strong leaders and “immense assets” to the trauma program, citing their wealth of knowledge and dedication to the statewide trauma program and Regional West’s role within the system.

With cutting edge technology and advanced diagnostic equipment, Regional West features two dedicated trauma rooms in the Emergency Department, eight operating rooms, and a 14-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Comprehensive care is available through the entire cycle of a patient’s injuries, with recovery care when moving from the hospital inpatient setting to the Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU) and outpatient therapy through the Rehab Center.

The review team praised the ARU as an asset to the hospital and the community, saying, “The hospital can often bring transferred patients home for rehabilitation, which can assist with reintegration into the community following major trauma.”

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.