Monday, June 07, 2010

Riverwood CEO joins State Trauma Advisory Council

In late May, the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed the appointment of Riverwood CEO Michael Hagen to fill the position of Rural Hospital Administrator on the State Trauma Advisory Council.
In a statement from the Minnesota Department of Health, Riverwood’s “proven trauma care leadership” was a contributing factor to Hagen’s appointment. In December 2006, Riverwood became the first rural hospital in Minnesota to achieve the Level III designation.

“I’m honored to be appointed to this important advisory role on Minnesota’s Trauma Advisory Council,” Hagen states. “We are proud to offer local residents and visitors advanced trauma care that can save lives and ensure that patients’ medical needs are appropriately matched with hospital resources.”
Hagen will begin serving on the Council in June and his term lasts until January 2012.
“All Minnesotans deserve optimal trauma care and I look to this Council to provide advisory leadership to make this a reality,” states Dr. Sanne Magnan, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health.
The Minnesota trauma system, launched in 2005, features four levels of care with varying degrees of resources available at hospitals. Levels I and II hospitals have the most trauma care resources. These are typically high volume trauma centers with many surgical subspecialties immediately available at the hospital. Level III and Level IV hospitals demonstrate a commitment to providing high quality trauma care with respect to the resources they have available. Level III trauma centers have surgeons readily available to the hospital but generally lack other surgery subspecialties. Level IV hospitals are not required to have surgery services.

As of early June, the Minnesota Department of Health’s website shows that there are four hospitals at Level I, three at Level II, 29 at Level III and 51 at Level IV. Twenty-one additional hospitals have Level III or IV designations in process.

For more information, see the Minnesota Statewide Trauma System site at www.health.state.mn.us/traumasystem/

Media contact: Arlene Wheaton, Riverwood Healthcare, (218) 927-5589, awheaton@sisunet.org