Maui Memorial Medical Center Aims to Become Level II Trauma Center
Wailuku, Maui, HI (May 28, 2021) – Maui Health is pleased to announce our journey to becoming an American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level II Trauma Center, the ACS’ highest ranking for a community hospital and only the second Level II Trauma Center in the state.
Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) of Maui Health has already begun to initiate the many ACS requirements, including dedicating four trauma surgeons to care for only trauma patients beginning June 1. MMMC is the only acute-care hospital on Maui and has always had general and trauma surgeons who rotate an on-call schedule to ensure there is always a qualified surgeon available for patients. This newly established trauma team is available 24/7, meaning there will always be a surgeon on call that is dedicated to trauma patients, and only trauma patients. The trauma team will respond in minutes to all trauma patients, including injuries that may require immediate resuscitation and interventions to save life or limb, as well as injuries from motor vehicle accidents, fires, shark attacks or breaking waves, as examples.
Dr. Art Chasen, trauma surgeon and Maui Health Trauma Director said, “Trauma services have always been a part of our medical care and now we are working to expand our trauma capabilities that will align the level of care and services we provide with some of the top trauma centers in the nation. Maui’s population includes many who live a highly active lifestyle that have the potential for traumatic injuries. We also have a growing kupuna population who experience traumatic falls and other injuries, and Maui is popular with visitors who are also in need of trauma care for a variety of injuries. This verification is important for the health and wellness for all we serve.” Dr. Chasen is joined by three additional trauma surgeons including Drs. Sergio Lugo, Beth Jarrett, and Stephanie Yan.
MMMC cares for about 1,000 trauma patients a year and this number continues to grow. “With the increasing needs of our community and visitors, and our growth in our clinical team specialists over several years including orthopedics, plastic surgery, intervention radiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, vascular surgery and neurosurgery, MMMC is well prepared and excited to begin this important journey to ACS Level II Trauma Center verification, and, because we are able to offer a higher level of specialty care, we have been able to decrease our off-island patient transfers from 19 percent to 3 percent, which means our residents can continue to receive excellent, high-quality care close to home and family,” said Michael Rembis, Maui Health CEO.
It will take nearly two years to fully implement all the requirements before the official ACS survey. The trauma center preparedness team is already actively working on the many ACS requirements including community outreach and education. Outreach programs include public awareness campaigns for trauma and injury prevention, education, and training like Stop the Bleed – a critical lifesaving technique that was taught to over 200 teachers and other individuals at schools across Maui and at a pre-COVID STB training held at MMMC. Additionally, for May’s National Stop the Bleed month, Maui Health’s Trauma Program partnered with the Kahului airport team to install the eight Stop the Bleed kits they donated throughout the airport. More STB classes are being planned for the near future. The Trauma Program team also partners with Maui County Ocean Safety on spinal cord injury prevention and education and will continue to provide even more education opportunities for our community and agency partners.
To learn more about our Trauma Program, click here. For more information on our path to ACS Level II Trauma Center verification, please contact media representative Tracy Dallarda.
Read more via The Maui News: Hospital aims to become Level II Trauma Center.
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About Maui Health
Maui Health, aka Maui Health System, community hospitals and associated clinics affiliated with Kaiser Permanente, includes Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, Lanai Community Hospital and associated clinics, and serves the people of Maui and Lanai. The facilities under Maui Health employ more than 1500 Maui County residents, partner with over 460 hospital-based physicians, clinicians, and community-based primary and specialty physicians, and are open to all patients regardless of health insurance coverage. Maui Health is committed to delivering high quality, affordable, patient-centered health care and improving the health of the community. Maui Health is supported by Kaiser Permanente’s industry-leading technology systems, evidence-based medicine and nationally recognized care quality. For more information, visit mauihealth.org.
About Maui Memorial Medical Center
Maui Memorial Medical Center is a Maui Health community hospital licensed for 214 acute care beds. It is Maui’s only full-service, acute medical care facility and provides comprehensive healthcare for Maui County, including Lanai and Molokai, and is open to all patients regardless of health insurance coverage. It is also the only hospital outside of Oahu that provides a full range of cardiac services, including open-heart surgery and angioplasty. Maui Memorial Medical Center is Joint Commission Accredited, a Hawaii State Designated Level III Trauma Center and certified Primary Stroke Center, and rated 4-stars by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Centers Hospital Compare. It is located in Wailuku and has over 1300 employees.