BGH First in North Idaho to receive Time Sensitive Emergency Designations

By Reader Staff

Bonner General Health is the first hospital in North Idaho and the second Critical Access Hospital in Idaho to receive all three time-sensitive emergency (TSE) designations.

“These TSE designations represent our commitment to providing our community with outstanding care at the most critical times,” said BGH CEO Sheryl Rickard. “This designation is the result of Bonner General Health’s unwavering dedication to providing high quality, compassionate care.”

BGH was designated a level IV trauma center on Feb. 14. On Sept. 12, Idaho Time Sensitive Emergencies Council designated BGH a Level III stroke center, and a Level II STEMI center on the same day, based upon the recommendations of an onsite survey team. The TSE Council is an organization selected by the Idaho Legislature to develop a statewide system of care to address the top three causes of death in Idaho (trauma, stroke, and heart attack). In order to receive these designations BGH was surveyed in all three areas.

The survey team conducted an extensive survey of the services at BGH, data and past performance in the areas of stroke and (STEMI) “heart attack care,” equipment, education programs, emergency team response, and the ability to work with pre-hospital care providers to activate emergency teams at the hospital and reduce the length of time to reach treatment for patients experiencing “heart attack” or stroke symptoms or suffering a traumatic injury. The surveyors were extremely impressed by the care provided at BGH by physicians and hospital staff and the commitment that is demonstrated by the entire organization to provide high quality care to the community.  They were also impressed with the effective collaboration with Emergency Medical Services since pre-hospital care is critical to improving patient outcomes.

The TSE system is modeled on evidence-based care that addresses public education and prevention, 911 access, response coordination, pre-hospital response, transport, hospital emergency/acute care, rehabilitation and quality improvement. The TSE program has demonstrated improved patient outcomes, lowered costs, reduced preventable deaths and improved quality of life.  It helps get the patient to the right place in the right time to the right care. In the state of Idaho, this system has three components: stroke, STEMI or “heart attack” and trauma systems of care. These are all considered “Time Sensitive Emergencies” in which the faster a patient experiencing any of these conditions receives care, the better health outcome they will achieve, including the reduction of mortality rates associated with these health emergencies. Bonner General Health is the first hospital in northern Idaho and the second Critical Access Hospital in the state to achieve all three Time Sensitive Emergency designations.