At its core, trauma designation and verification are not about earning a certificate on the wall. They exist to answer one question: If a critically injured patient arrives at your hospital, will every system function exactly as it should?

Trauma programs often disappear because hospitals can no longer sustain the people, resources, and regulatory requirements needed to maintain designation.

Hospital leaders make difficult decisions in rural communities when assessing capacity to provide trauma, stroke, and cardiac care.

Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital provides trauma care for isolated communities in Montana. Collaboration with Level I facilities is essential for smaller hospital in trauma deserts.

Should your rural hospital become a trauma center? The decision involves far more than meeting designation standards.

The basics of trauma care and the difference between an emergency room and a trauma center.