Intermountain St. Vincent Research Team Advances Understanding of Trauma Care

As Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital continues its journey towards a Trauma Level I designation, it is developing an advanced research program that will provide insights into trauma care in rural states.

A recently published study in the Journal of Emergency Medicine took a deep dive into access to trauma care in Montana. The study identified access to trauma care across geographic and demographic factors, highlighting those areas that may face barriers to care. The study also highlights the critical role that all trauma centers play in the state’s trauma system, especially rural, critical access facilities such as Intermountain Health Holy Rosary Hospital in Miles City.

“We are committed to improving the system across the state,” shared Heather Stamey, Senior Director of Emergency and Critical Care Services at St. Vincent. “This study is a great starting point to understand how we can best serve all Montanans.”

In its pursuit to become a Trauma I designated facility, ensuring that the patients throughout the region have access to the highest level of critical and emergency services close to home, St. Vincent Regional Hospital is investing resources to continue to build on these initial research efforts.

“There has not been robust research focused on trauma care in Montana and rural areas,” stated Stamey. “As we build our program, we will continue to produce actionable research that will allow us to enhance care in Montana.”

The trauma-focused research program began in 2022 and has produced nine papers approved for publication, and an additional three papers are currently under peer review for consideration for publication.

In addition to the geographic study, caregivers from across the organization have participated in research on various topics, including examining emergency department pharmacy care, trauma care of veterans, the role of spiritual care in pain management, and motorcycle traumas in Montana, among other topics.

Here is the list of current papers accepted for publication:

Treatment of urinary tract infections in hospitalized adults: Ceftriaxone versus Levofloxacin, Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice
Authors: Cody Maldonado, Riley Grubbs, Jeff Jensen

Emergency Department pharmacist impact on time to administration of heparin: a brief report, Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research
Authors: Taylor Brisben, Cody Maldonado, Michaela Bruner, Jeff Jensen, Dr. Rachel Ott

Addressing an increase in surgical site infections during the COVID-19 pandemic – Identifying opportunities during a chaotic time, American Journal of Infection Control
Author: Jordan Zepeda

Access to trauma care in a rural state: A descriptive geographic and demographic analysis, The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Authors: Heather Stamey, Katherine Meyers, John Fordham, Kyle Young, Dr. Rachel Ott

Trauma history in veterans with bipolar disorder and its impact on suicidality, Journal of Psychiatric Research
Author: Ashley Clausen

Getting patients to the right level of trauma center after motorcycle crashes in a rural trauma system, American Journal of Emergency Medicine
Authors: Heather Stamey, Kristin Thackeray-Pflughoft, Katherine Meyers

Effectiveness of patient-centered discharge plans in the care of trauma patients: a quality improvement project, Journal of Trauma Nursing
Authors: Lisa Stricker and Dr. Barry McKenzie

TBI, psychological trauma exposure, and anxious and depressive symptoms in a clinical population, Journal of Trauma Nursing
Authors: Ashley Clausen, Heather Stamey, Katherine Meyers

History of traumatic brain injuries in an outpatient clinic sample evaluated for neurocognitive disorders: a retrospective analysis, Frontiers in Medicine and Health Research
Authors: Ashley Clausen, Katherine Meyers

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.