Glendive Medical Center Receives Designation as a Community Trauma Hospital

Glendive Medical Center (GMC) was awarded the designation as a Community Trauma Hospital by the Montana Department of Health and Human Services in May 2023. A Community Trauma Hospital, also known as a Level IV trauma hospital, can provide Advanced Trauma Life Support to trauma patients upon arrival at GMC.

GMC General Surgeon, Dr. Kelly Dinnan and Assistant Director of Nursing, Katie Zachman were at the helm of coordinating and implementing the designation which took over two years of arduous efforts. GMC is extremely proud of this designation and all the work that our team has done. The work of obtaining this designation has “created a cohesiveness between multi-disciplinary teams and our EMS,” stated Katie, “this involves continuous assessments of care, evaluating criteria, reviewing and revising policies and procedures, and creating processes for ongoing improvements and education.”

The Community Trauma Hospital designation signifies GMC’s commitment to providing patients with excellent medical care and treatment. It helps us to ensure a rapid response of the care team for patients experiencing a traumatic injury. The team includes emergency room providers, a trauma surgeon, trained nurses, anesthesia, radiology, lab, and pharmacy services.

A large part of GMC’s trauma designation work has surrounded education of staff and EMS. “We have now raised our standard of care to meet other designated trauma centers across Montana,” stated Dr. Kelly Dinnan, “Access to high quality trauma care, in a timely manner, could be critical in saving a life. This designation is important to Glendive and the surrounding communities as it confirms our team can manage trauma cases as they arrive.” Depending on the severity of the patient’s injuries, they may be able to stay for ongoing care at GMC; some patients that require more comprehensive care are managed and stabilized before being transferred to a Level I or Level II Trauma Center.

"Not only is this a great achievement for our hospital, but it’s also great news for our patients and our community," said Parker Powell, GMC CEO. “No one wishes to visit the Emergency Room for themselves or their loved ones but having a trauma designation like this at GMC means when a traumatic medical event occurs, we stand ready to provide quality clinical care when you need us the most”.

GMC received an unprecedented three-year designation with no deficiencies whereas typically, healthcare facilities only receive a one-year designation on their first review. As part of its designation status, GMC is also providing educational opportunities in trauma care for the community including “Stop the Bleed” training. GMC is looking forward to continuing to provide excellent trauma care to the community and surrounding area.