August 30, 2024 |
Photo – MHCC – Bigfoot99 file photo
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County has been forced to downgrade its trauma rating due to the high cost of staff.
The Rawlins hospital has been struggling financially for a long time. The hospital board of trustees has tried many tactics to bring the healthcare facility back from the brink of insolvency, including bringing in new administrators, changing payment options, and the potential creation of a taxpayer-funded hospital district.
During Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Memorial Hospital Interim Chief Executive Officer Gerald Parton explained that the facility has reduced its emergency care capabilities. Parton said that maintaining the current rating level requires the hospital to have a general surgeon available around-the-clock.
State and regional authorities, often in conjunction with the American College of Surgeons, determines a hospital’s trauma level.
To obtain level one status, a facility must offer comprehensive care with specialists, advanced surgical facilities, and research programs available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Level One hospitals handle the most severely injured patients.
A trauma level of five is considered the lowest designation for hospitals. A level five facility performs the initial evaluation, stabilization, and diagnosis of a patient. After being stabilized, the patient is transferred to a higher-level trauma center.
Speaking to the board of commissioners on Tuesday, Interim CEO Parton said the hospital has been forced to use traveling doctors, referred to as locums, after Dr. John Lumb retired earlier this year. Using out-of-town doctors to run the hospital’s trauma center is extremely expensive, said Parton.
Parton said Memorial Hospital has a surgeon come once a week to perform pre-planned surgeries. The interim CEO also said if a new full-time surgeon can be found, the hospital may begin offering advanced trauma care once again.
On a positive note, Parton said the Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative has provided funding for Memorial Hospital of Carbon County to hold a breast cancer awareness event called Mammos and Mimosas in October. Breast cancer blogger Cathy Holman, from the website Prairie Wife in Heels, will be a guest speaker.
Carbon County resident and breast cancer survivor Deb Engstrom will also speak at the event.
The Mammos and Mimosas breast cancer awareness event is Saturday, October 19th, from 10:00am to noon at the Rawlins Depot Building, located at 104 4th Street.
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County is also offering mammograms after the event. The breast cancer screenings are being offered on a first come, first serve basis. People are encouraged to call 324-8381 to schedule a test.
Representatives from the Wyoming Cancer Coalition will be on site during the October event to provide information about state funding assistance available for breast cancer screening exams.
