A recent patient at Allen County Regional Hospital uttered a particular phrase that?s sure to rile nurses and staff. It?s a complaint that gets bandied about on social media from time to time, too:
?This place is just a Band-aid station.?
ACRH?s emergency department director Angela Slocum has a response: ?There?s a reason for that.?
?They don?t think about the stabilizing treatment they have received or the diagnostic work and the labs and scans? they have received, she said. ?We?ve ruled out so many things. We know if there is anything life-threatening going on and where to send them to get the best possible treatment.?
The hospital recently was recertified as a Level IV trauma center, a designation by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that sets stringent requirements for the types of staff training and the standard of care expected of hospitals like ACRH.
The hospital first received the designation in 2016, after more than a year of establishing certain protocols required by the state.
Slocum outlined the procedures ACRH takes to activate its trauma team.
Iola Fire Chief Tim Thyer, left, and EMS Director Michael Burnett meet with Allen County Regional Hospital Emergency Department Director Angela Slocum earlier this month to review trauma response cases. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
IT USUALLY starts with an accident, something as simple as a fall up to a car wreck or fire or gunshot. An injury could be anything from a broken bone up to multiple injuries with extensive blood loss or internal injuries.
Most of the time, Allen County EMS/Fire units will be dispatched to the scene of the incident. They?ll assess the situation and determine where to take the patient, either to ACRH or another area hospital, or straight to a larger facility better equipped to handle the specific injuries. That decision could be affected by things like weather, the proximity of the incident to a certain hospital or the type of injuries. Sometimes, they?ll call for the assistance of an air ambulance.
Meanwhile, an entire team of healthcare professionals have assembled in the emergency room at ACRH. There could be as many as 20, including emergency room staff like the EMS crew, nurses and doctors, and representatives from departments like radiology, laboratory and respiratory.
?It?s almost like a beehive,? Slocum said. ?It?s a really different scene than most people are used to seeing, especially at a small facility.?
The team will assess the situation and conduct necessary tests, such as taking blood for laboratory tests. If it?s clear some departments are not needed, like radiology, that team member will be dismissed, but stay in the emergency room to provide other types of assistance, like answering phones as concerned family and friends learn of the incident.
?In a small community, it doesn?t take a lot to overwhelm our resources,? Slocum said. ?It just gets busy.?
Depending on the injuries, the physician and team will determine what facility can provide the best possible care. If that means transfer to a larger hospital, the patient will be stabilized and prepared for transfer.
