LAKEPORT, Calif. – Trauma happens.

From a broken bone to a concussion, accessible emergency medical services and a quick response is paramount to a successful recovery.

Traumatic injuries result from blunt force, penetrating wounds and burns.

Trauma accounts for 41 million emergency room visits a year, and 192,000 deaths annually, according to the National Trauma Institute.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital is a the only trauma center in Lake County, and one of 11 rural trauma centers recognized by the Emergency Medical Services Authority in California.

As a Level IV trauma center, SLH receives and stabilizes any trauma patient, and its skilled team of emergency nurses and physicians assess the patient for treatment and possible transport.

Trauma teams work closely with first responders to provide the necessary resources to save a victim’s life.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital utilizes an electronic system within its computerized medical record to prompt response teams to properly classify the level of injury and to guide care. The use of a uniform system improves patient outcomes, and streamlines care in the event of transfer.

For longtime Lake County resident David Rose, the routine task of loading his pontoon boat onto a trailer turned into a trip to the hospital.

“The deck of the boat is about four feet above the ground. I took a step off and fell, landing on my left side,” said Rose. “I broke three ribs and punctured my lung. I was able to get up on my own and I drove myself to the hospital.”

Trauma patients are assessed on a six point scale, from minor injury to maximal, or untreatable, injury.

The Injury Severity Score counts six regions in the body: Head and neck, face, thorax, abdomen and pelvis, extremities, and external. While Rose was able to breathe, he was in a lot of pain.

“The ER staff took good care of me,” said Rose. “Although I was in the ER for a while, they paid a lot of attention to controlling my pain. After I was admitted, they even fed me.”

Rose’s journey to recovery took a couple months, during which he continued care with Sutter physicians.

“I’m fully recovered. They took really good care of me.”

Because California does not have a statewide system for trauma care, large portions of the state do not have access to specialized trauma care, according to the California Healthcare Foundation. While trauma care guidelines were first established over forty years ago, the inability to access coordinated care can lead to serious long-term injury or death.

“Sutter Lakeside’s designation as a Level IV trauma center allows critically injured patients to receive the rapid treatment round the clock, as well as access higher level trauma centers for more severe injuries,” said Emergency Department Nurse Manager Nicole Lamm. “Over 85 percent of our ED nurses have passed the Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum, which provides extra training for treating trauma patients. Our nurses also travel to affiliates within the system to share ideas and learn from other trauma teams.”

In addition to highly educated nurses, each trauma patients’ records are reviewed to ensure that they received the best care.

“We look through every chart retrospectively to make sure we took all of the proper steps,” said Lamm. “We send our records to a national database, ensuring that the care we provide is up to date and in line with the best practices.

“I’m proud of our trauma team,” said Lamm. “They see some of the most severe cases, but stay calm and do what’s best for the patient.”

Morgen Wells is community relations and fund development specialist at Sutter Lakeside Hospital.