Perham Memorial Hosptial recently designated as Level IV trauma hospital

Perham Memorial Hospital recently received a Level IV trauma designation from the Minnesota Department of Health.

According to Dr. Sane Magnan, Minnesota Commissioner of Health, trauma is the third leading cause of death in Minnesota. “The goal of the trauma system is to decrease injured patients’ time to care by making sure their medical needs are appropriately matched with hospital resources,” he said. “With the designation of Perham Memorial Hospital as a Level IV trauma hospital, we’re getting closer to our goal of ensuring that seriously injured Minnesotans have access to an organized system of trauma care wherever they are in the state.”

In many cases, a patient’s condition can be stabilized or improved by care at a community hospital, making transfer to more distant regional trauma centers safer, with a better chance of a positive outcome. 

Mari Elliott, RN, PMHH Acute Care Manager, along with other emergency department staff members, has been working for more than a year to achieve this designation for the Perham hospital.  “Improving our trauma care by achieving Level IV designation shows our commitment to the community and region to help provide life-saving emergency measures to those severely injured by trauma,” said Elliott.

In preparation for this designation, the hospital participated in an outside review of the hospital’s resources and capabilities to care for trauma patients. Perham Memorial Hospital has successfully met state standards of commitment, clinical and equipment resources, and staff training for the assessment and treatment of trauma patients.

On average, trauma claims the lives of 2,400 Minnesotans annually. States with trauma systems have seen survival rates increase by 15 to 20 percent. Wide-scale participation in the voluntary trauma systems ensures that a statewide, cooperative effort is in place to care for seriously injured patients.

Perham Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department has physicians and registered nurses available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with support from medical and surgical services. 

Perham Memorial Hospital is a progressive facility that provides a comprehensive scope of services addressing the physical, emotional, and educational needs of its patients. The highly-trained staff and state-of-the-art equipment ensure that each patient receives the very best in personalized care under the patient and family centered care model.