Page 3 - Ulupono December 2019

Level III Trauma: Enhanced Care for our Windward Community
By Rachel Dick
Director of Quality Resources
Adventist Health Castle is on its way to becoming a level III trauma facility. Having a trauma facility on the Windward side allows a trauma victim access to acute care quickly. For trauma, like stroke and acute heart attack, early access to care and intervention is vital for optimal outcomes. Additional benefits to our community include allowing
patients to be treated close to home and family and enhancing our partnerships and resources available to other Windward side health care facilities.
Trauma codes are defined by how the injury occurred. For example, a pedestrian being hit by a car going five miles an hour may
be identified as a modified trauma whereas a pedestrian hit by a car going 50 miles
an hour is a full trauma. A full code trauma activates the whole team, including the trauma surgeon, due to the anticipated severity of the injuries.
Over the next year we will be tracking data on patients who present to our facility and qualify for a trauma designation. We will also be evaluating and fine tuning our processes and procedures. EMS will not be bringing in
trauma patients that aren’t already being transporting to us until after we are certified as a trauma facility. Providing community education on injury prevention topics such as water safety, keiki car seat/booster seat installation, and pedestrian safety are also an important part of being a designated trauma facility. These opportunities will be ramping up soon.
We are very excited about becoming the first facility in Adventist Health to become
a level III trauma facility. In addition to having associates at Adventist Health Castle enhance their skills, it will also allow us to take better care of our community.
DECEMBER 2019 - ULUPONO
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