Officials at Billings Clinic announced Thursday they have secured the hospital's designation as a Level 1 trauma center, granting patients across the region greater access to emergency care.
The $30 million plan was announced a year ago by the hospital's former CEO, Dr. Scott Ellner. Since then, Ellner and other top officials have resigned, and the hospital has undergone big cutbacks to shore up its finances, including pay cuts top administrators, reductions in retirement contributions and layoffs.
Throughout those struggles, the hospital's new top executive, Dr. Clint Seger, said Billings Clinic had never wavered from its plan to become the first hospital in Montana to achieve Level 1 trauma designation.
“Billings Clinic’s core mission is to provide the highest quality, complex care close to home for the entire region, and becoming the region’s first Level I Trauma Center is a reflection of both that commitment and the compassionate dedication of so many people across every facet of our organization,” Seger said in a written statement. “Being a Level I Trauma means we provide the highest level of trauma care available while elevating lifesaving care, creating better patient outcomes and advancing trauma care throughout the communities we serve.”
Level 1 trauma designation is granted by the American College of Surgeons and is granted to hospitals that offer comprehensive care, a large patient capacity and the ability to treat patients with more severe injuries.
According to Billings Clinic, patients have a 25 percent greater chance of survival if treated at a Level 1 trauma center. The hospital says it has seen a 10 percent increase in trauma patients annually.
The new designation came after a rigorous review by a team from the American College of Surgeons in May. The new designation gives Billings Clinic access to a larger pool of patients and a more direct say in emergency planning throughout the region.
Prior to this announcement, no Level 1 centers were in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, or South Dakota, thoughSt. Vincent Healthcare is seeking to obtain the designation by the spring of 2024.
The closest Level 1 centers to Billings are in Salt Lake City (548 miles); Denver (555 miles); and Seattle (819 miles).
The news of the Level 1 trauma center designation came on the same day Billings Clinic announced a new timeline forits merger with Kalispell-based Logan Health, a move that both groups say will create a larger regional healthcare network that will better meet patient needs.
