April 3, 2006

Regions Hospital re-verified as Level I trauma center
April 4, 2006 - Regions Hospital has been re-verified as a Level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Level I is the highest possible designation given by the ACS.

"This achievement recognizes Regions Hospital's continued commitment to provide the best care for our patients," said Michael McGonigal, M.D., medical director of trauma services at Regions. "We have an outstanding team of dedicated health professionals, staff and leaders who work together every day to make sure that people throughout the region - including the east metro and western Wisconsin - receive the critical care they need regardless of their ability to pay or their insurance status."

Regions first received the Level I designation in 1993, and currently is one of only three Level I trauma centers in Minnesota verified by ACS. As a Level I trauma center, the hospital is equipped to handle the most serious types of trauma cases for adults and children - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also must demonstrate high standards for quality improvement, research and education.

Trauma injuries include motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian and bicycle injuries, falls, burns, and intentional injuries. The Regions Hospital Emergency Center serves more than 61,000 patients annually, with about one-quarter of these patients treated for trauma-related injuries. Approximately 2,500 of these injured patients require hospitalization.

The ACS verification and consultation program is designed to assist hospitals in the evaluation and improvement of trauma care. The verification process critically reviews the quality of care at every level, including pre-hospital, emergency department in-hospital and rehabilitation phases. The ACS certificate of verification is valid for three years.

Regions Hospital is a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. Regions is a private hospital providing outstanding care in womens health, heart, cancer, surgery, orthopaedics, neuroscience, burn, emergency care and more. Regions is part of the HealthPartners family of care. Additional information is available at regionshospital.com.