Morris Hospital redesignated as a Level II Trauma Center

Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers has been re-designated as a Level II Trauma Center by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

This means Morris Hospital has the necessary resources, including personnel and equipment, to diagnose and treat severely injured patients at all hours around the clock, including the availability of a trauma surgeon, surgical team and CT scan testing.

“Being a Level II trauma center requires an incredible commitment from the hospital staff, physicians, and emergency medical services personnel,” explains Robin Stortz, RN, trauma coordinator at Morris Hospital. “It’s a voluntary process and one that Morris Hospital remains committed to in order to provide a higher level of care for the community.”

Stortz says the process of caring for trauma patients begins with emergency medical services personnel in the field who are trained in identifying trauma cases. This enables the emergency department personnel to set processes in place before the patient even arrives at the hospital, including summoning the on-call trauma surgeon and surgical team. At Morris Hospital, two trauma surgeons are always on call in the event that a situation involves multiple trauma victims.

With six board-certified emergency medicine physicians, along with certified trauma nurse specialists trained in advanced trauma care, emergency pediatric care and advanced cardiac life support, the Emergency Department at Morris Hospital has the specialized expertise needed to care for patients requiring a higher level of care.

As a Level II Trauma Center, Morris Hospital also has protocol in place to assemble a fully staffed, functioning operating room with just 30 minutes notice.

“As soon as a patient is classified as trauma, that really sets the wheel in motion,” Stortz said. “The care provided to trauma patients within that first golden hour is critical to achieving the best possible outcomes.”

Stortz says achieving and maintaining the Level II trauma designation also requires tremendous dedication from a number of other disciplines from throughout the hospital, including personnel in the Laboratory, Imaging Services, Intensive Care and the Medical/Surgical nursing units, who also have the necessary education and training to care for trauma patients.

As part of a continuous improvement process, the trauma surgeons and emergency physicians at Morris Hospital meet regularly to review each trauma case.

“We look at trends, outcomes, and each patient chart to see if there is opportunity for improvement,” she says. “We are proud to provide a higher level of trauma care to our communities and have seen firsthand that it can make a difference in patient outcomes.”

Of the 225 hospitals in Illinois, 63 are designated by IDPH as either a Level 1 or Level 2 trauma center.
Serving patients in 18 communities, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers includes the 86-bed Morris Hospital, as well as the Braidwood, Channahon, Dwight, Gardner, Marseilles, Minooka, Morris and Newark healthcare centers.

In addition to being a Level II trauma center, Morris Hospital provides lifesaving cardiac care with angioplasty and stents, radiation therapy center for cancer patients, Level II obstetrical unit with special care nursery, a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, and a dedicated pediatric unit.