Idaho Falls Community Hospital receives special designations
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho Falls Community Hospital is now a designated Level IV trauma, Level III stroke and Level II heart attack (officially known as STEMI) treatment center by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
The designation means the hospital has the team, tools and experience necessary to diagnose and treat potentially deadly heart attacks, strokes and trauma.
The designations are part of Idaho’s Time Sensitive Emergency System, which was created to help address the top three preventable causes of death. Hospitals must undergo a rigorous review process and site inspection in order to earn these designations. The team at Idaho Falls Community Hospital started working on its stroke, heart attack and trauma programs in June of 2020.
“In emergencies, time matters. Our team has worked hard to make sure every second counts, so we can give our patients the best care and outcomes possible,” said Casey Jackman, COO of Idaho Falls Community Hospital. “Our new designations should give our community members peace of mind that when you are treated by us you will receive timely, evidence-based care.”
"We're built to take care of patients as they encounter an emergent need, such as a stroke or heart attack or a traumatic event," Jackman said "And this just shows that the people that we have employed here and the people that we get to work with here, are prepared to take care of people when they have to go through those emergent events."
Idaho Falls Community Hospital has a fully staffed emergency department that is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year, so patients can receive treatment whenever they need it. This includes broken bones, appendicitis and trauma cases. The hospital has more than 80 in-patient rooms, including a 16-bed intensive care unit, for people whose injuries or illness are serious enough that they need to be admitted for care.
“Achieving these designations underscores our commitment to continually improve for our patients and our community,” said Dr. Brian O’Byrne, Idaho Falls Community Hospital’s Time Sensitive Emergency Director. “We are proud of all that our team has been able to accomplish in the very short time since opening the facility and we look forward to continuing to grow the services and level of care we can provide.”
"Idaho Falls Community Hospital is to be commended as a new facility to achieve these designations in such a short period of time. It shows a commitment to the quality of care for the community," Dr. O'Byrne said.
