Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise has become the first hospital in Idaho to be designated by the State of Idaho’s Time Sensitive Emergency (TSE) Statewide Council as a Level II Stroke Center. Saint Alphonsus has simultaneously received recertification as the region’s only Level II Trauma Center. The designations represent an evidence-based approach to highly organized systems of care in the event of a stroke or traumatic injury. Saint Alphonsus achieved the designations by demonstrating improved patient outcomes, lowered costs, reduced preventable deaths and improved quality of life for patients.

The Time Sensitive Emergency Council is an organization selected by the Idaho Legislature to develop a statewide Time Sensitive Emergency system of care to address three of the top five causes of death in Idaho: trauma, stroke, and heart attack. The Level II Stroke and Trauma designations account for performance in 911 access, response coordination, transport, pre-hospital response, hospital emergency and acute care, rehabilitation, quality improvement, public education and prevention efforts. Idaho’s TSE program has created three designation levels for stroke centers, five levels for trauma centers and two levels for heart attack centers. 

“Having a qualified trauma center in this community is vital to providing lifesaving care following a traumatic injury,” said Dr. Bill Morgan, trauma surgeon and trauma medical director at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and chair of the Time Sensitive Emergency Council. “Our surgeons, emergency physicians, nurses, and allied health staff are dealing with the most severe injuries in the region, and we’re proud to be recognized for the quality care and outcomes we’re able to deliver during critical emergencies.”

“When it comes to treating strokes, expediency is one of the most important factors in saving brain tissue,” said Dr. Karen Porth, neurologist and Stroke Program medical director at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. “As a provider of neurological care in our community, I am proud to be recognized by the TSE Council as a Level II Stroke Center.  Our entire team is committed to improving the outcomes of our patients in the event of a stroke, and this designation is the result of Saint Alphonsus’ unwavering dedication to great care.”

“Saint Alphonsus has raised the bar, setting a standard of excellence in acute medical care that will not only save lives, but improve the quality of life for survivors,” says Dick Armstrong, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. “Idaho is very fortunate to have them help lead our state TSE program to an improved, more sustainable model of urgent care.”

Nearly 800,000 people per year experience a new or recurrent stroke, which represents the leading cause of adult disability in the country. Over 2.3 million people visit emergency rooms nationwide due to trauma, which stands as the third leading cause of death in the United States. To learn more, please visit http://www.saintalphonsus.org/stroke-center or http://www.saintalphonsus.org/trauma-emergency.