MADISON, Wis. — Patients on the east side of Madison and the surrounding communities will now have faster access to a higher level of critical care.
In late October, UW Health East Madison Hospital, across the street from the new Eastpark Medical Center, was certified as a Level IV Trauma Center by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The hospital joins the UW Health trauma system alongside the University Hospital Level I Adult Trauma Center and American Family Children’s Hospital Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, creating a connected program treating trauma no matter the age or care required.
East Madison Hospital, which opened in 2015, has always been able to take care of critically injured patients in emergency situations, but this new designation recognizes that the hospital has demonstrated its ability to care for patients who need advanced care for traumatic injuries, according to Dr. Joshua Gauger, trauma medical director at East Madison Hospital, and emergency medicine physician, UW Health.
“Patients often arrive at our emergency department at the worst moment in their lives, and this designation should help give them and their families peace of mind knowing they are receiving the best care possible,” he said.
Hospital trauma centers in Wisconsin voluntarily participate in this classification process, according to the Department of Health Services. There are four levels; Level I indicates the center can facilitate every aspect of trauma care, including teaching and research.
East Madison Hospital was designated as a Level IV Trauma Center for having the capability to evaluate, stabilize and provide advanced trauma life support to traumatically injured patients.
Another key aspect of a Level IV Trauma Center is the ability to assess the need for transfer to a higher level of care, which can be provided at University Hospital, Gauger said.
“So, while this designation acknowledges the level of care at East Madison Hospital, it is also another example that UW Health as a health system provides the very highest level of care in Wisconsin,” he said.
To make the decision to grant Level IV status, a Department of Health Services verification team reviewed the trauma care provided over the last year, including patient outcomes, response times and adherence to policy to provide a high level of service to patients. The state reviewers also focused heavily on the systems and processes in place at East Madison Hospital, and within the UW Health system, to ensure ongoing evaluation and performance improvement as a designated trauma center.
The team review highlighted several strengths, noting a high functioning facility, with a robust injury prevention program and a performance improvement plan which is driving the care of trauma patients, according to Gauger.
“To make this designation a reality, it took everyone who supports the patients in our care,” he said. “It was a collective effort, and we couldn’t be prouder of our nurses, physicians, support staff and everyone else involved to make this happen.”