McLaren Central Michigan reaches major milestone as Isabella County’s first verified trauma center

“There’s a stigma about smaller hospitals that the nurses don’t know as much as the Level I trauma centers, but I think it’s actually switched,” shares Casie Lambert, trauma and stroke coordinator at McLaren Central Michigan. “We may not have all the resources, but we know how to do it all with less.”

Lambert’s statement is backed up by the hospital’s verification from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to become Isabella County’s first trauma center, proof that size and location aren’t determiners of great care. 

Becoming a Level IV trauma center means that residents of Mt. Pleasant and the surrounding communities in Isabella County have access to high-level, immediate care that is close to home. 

A Look Inside the Verification Process

The verification process is a rigorous assessment that includes a review of patient care, patient follow-up, and performance improvement (PI) to ensure the hospital meets the national standards for trauma care.

“We had to prove that we have reached out to the community, we’ve done injury prevention, and that we have 24/7 capabilities to do labs, X-rays, and CT. We also have to have 24/7 emergency room coverage,” explains Samantha Franklin, emergency department trauma manager. 

As the trauma and stroke coordinator, Lambert was heavily involved with filling out the paperwork required to apply for the verification. 

“There was a long application that had to be filled out with a lot of different essay-style answers. And then they choose different charts that we have to present for them to look over to make sure we’re meeting the time metrics and the care level that they expect of us,” says Lambert. 

The verification involves an on-site peer review performed by an external team, who then report its findings to a subcommittee at the state. Based on the report, the committee votes on its recommendations to grant or deny the trauma center status. 

McLaren Central Michigan submitted its application in March of this year and received verification in September, officially announcing the verification on Nov. 25. 

Setting Their Sights on the Goal Despite Obstacles

The hospital first tried the verification process back in 2019, but the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from seeing it through at the time due to a shifting of priorities to the needs of the community.

Despite not being able to give their full attention to the process, the hospital was granted provisional status, which allowed it to temporarily operate as a trauma center while working to meet the full standards.  

“We were at risk of losing our provisional status if we didn’t get our verification. So we had to get it so that we could make sure that we didn’t lose that patient population that would have to go elsewhere,” explains Franklin.

Franklin, who entered her role as emergency department trauma manager two years ago, dedicated herself to the project and its completion. 

“For me, it was a huge accomplishment because I started this trauma and stroke job from being a floor nurse, never having done anything besides bedside patient care. I really had to teach myself all the ins and outs of the trauma system and network, and reach out to people at other hospitals in the same role,” shares Franklin. “It took a lot of long days and long weeks and months, so to see it come to fruition took a big weight off my shoulders.”

Going Above and Beyond the Standards

While receiving the verification is a huge accomplishment in itself, the hospital has proven that it is more than just a Level IV trauma center, says the team. 

For one, they passed the verification with flying colors. 

“We don’t have to be verified for another three years because we had zero deficiencies. If you have any deficiencies, they come back the next year to recheck you, but we were perfect,” says Franklin.

And some of the core elements it features, such as 24/7 surgical coverage and multiple trauma rooms, surpass what the state requires to be recognized as a trauma center. 

“They were incredibly impressed with the setup we have for a small hospital. I’ve worked at other small hospitals, and your trauma rooms are just a room. But ours are high caliber and very well equipped. I’ve worked at huge hospitals, and I would say ours compare and are if not better,” adds Franklin.

What the Verification Means for Isabella County

Verification from the state speaks to McLaren Central Michigan’s dedication to patient care and the timely, high-quality manner in which patients are treated. It is proof that the residents of Isabella County are in good hands should they require emergency services.  

“We had already been doing this stuff correctly for the last two years to even get the verification, so this is just the rubber stamp on the great care we were already giving,” explains Franklin. “We were always doing the right things; now we just get to say we’re doing the right thing.”

“It means that you can get great high-level care closer to home, and you don’t have to travel outside of our local area to get good trauma care,” Franklin adds. 

Maintaining Excellent Care Every Day

The hospital is upholding the recognition, stating they routinely ensure the level of care it provides meets and exceeds the standard.

“We have to make sure that we continue to hold people accountable to that high level of care. They won’t come back and review us for three years, but they will look back at what’s happened between the last time they were here and the next time, so we have to keep watching the pot,” says Franklin.

This includes daily auditing and regular education on trauma care. For example, the nurses attend the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) every four years, and the hospital also creates monthly educational newsletters to ensure the staff is knowledgeable and up-to-date. 

“Things change quickly in medicine. Best practices change and the way we think about things. It’s a practice, so we learn and change and adapt,” Lambert remarks.

The Future of Medicine at McLaren

Despite achieving its goal of becoming a trauma center, McLaren Central Michigan is not settling and has hopes to elevate this status in the future.

“We’re working on trying to get to the Level III designation, which would be one step higher,” shares Franklin. “It would just prove to the community and to the other hospitals around us that we’re never happy to settle and we want to keep building towards the next higher level.”