The case for Centennial Hills Hospital as a Level III Trauma Center

On June 23, the Southern Nevada Board of Health will consider expanding the number of designated trauma facilities in Southern Nevada.

UMC was the community’s first designated trauma center in 1999; Sunrise and St Rose Siena were added in 2004.

Applications from Centennial Hills, Mountain View and Southern Hills hospitals are on the agenda for recommendation to seek approval from the American College of Surgeons as Level III trauma centers. I’d like to make the case for Centennial Hills Hospital.

We began evaluating the need for trauma services years ago, recognizing the rapidly growing communities in the northwest and beyond would benefit from accessing some services closer to home. Residents, local EMS providers and community leaders have supported these efforts.

Only after we ensured that all the needed hospital services were in place, that highly skilled surgeons and staff led by Dr. Jim Lovett were on board, and that we had the full backing from our System Board of Governors, did we submit our application to the Board of Health. Dr. Lovett and I both completed our surgical training at UMC; we understand the organization and commitment to excellence that is needed for the success of our program, and more importantly, to our patients.

In 2004, one of St. Rose Siena’s justifications for its Level III Trauma facility was the distance to transport patients from Boulder City.

We believe residents in the upper northwest, North Las Vegas, Indian Springs, Creech Air Force Base, Mount Charleston and Mercury deserve the same rapid intervention and treatment.

We believe that with a community of 2.2 million residents and 42 million visitors each year, there must be an additional resource.

The threat of future mass casualty events — as we have witnessed in Orlando, Paris, San Bernardino and Boston — underscore the need to expand trauma capabilities, albeit in a careful and measured fashion.

I’d also like to address some of the misconceptions and unsubstantiated claims.

First, Centennial Hills Hospital will not affect UMC’s viability. Centennial Hills, unlike Mountain View, has no intention to move to Level II Trauma status, nor does our hospital significantly overlap UMC’s service area. We pose no threat to their viability. Centennial Hills Hospital looks to complement and further support the current trauma system.

Furthermore, while the Regional Trauma Advisory Board was reviewing our application, the data provided by the Southern Nevada Health District demonstrated a total impact of fewer than 300 patients per year, or less than 1 patient per day. This impact was by far the lowest impact of the three applicants, and would certainly not dismantle the trauma program or the teaching operations at UMC.

A recent editorial also asserted that expansion of trauma services was completely unnecessary, and would only add to inflating charges for services provided.

The fact is that all trauma centers have activation fees. They are put in place to cover the costs of providing the level of additional services provided at trauma facilities. If approved, Centennial Hills Hospital plans to have activation fees that meet the current community standard.

I do agree with Dr. John Fildes’ statement from 2004 that UMC is the cornerstone of our community’s trauma system. It has developed over the years to become an outstanding facility, responsible for saving countless lives.

I also agree with our firefighters and Dr. Fildes that doubling the number of facilities would be a mistake and weaken our system.

However, adding Centennial Hills Hospital as a Level III center for the northwest, and then reassessing the need for expansion into the southwest in the future makes the most sense at this time and would place services where they are most needed.

A cornerstone is only part of a structure. Let’s not leave our trauma system unfinished. The time for a decision is now; the place is Centennial Hills Hospital.

Dr. S. Daniel McBride is the chief medical officer for the Valley Health System and a former governor of the Nevada chapter of the American College of Surgeons.