Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ed Yeates ReportingA Utah hospital today was given an enviable national designation shared currently among only 10 medical centers like it across the country.
Any pediatric patient in Utah and multiple surrounding states now who has the most serious life threatening injuries will be treated at Primary Children's Hospital under a new national Level One Trauma classification.
The certification is given only to those pediatric hospitals which offer the highest level of pediatric critical care.
Sixteen-year-old Matthew Polichette slammed into a tree yesterday while skiing. Surgeons are now patching up some very serious wounds.
Matthew Polichette: "I shattered my patella and knee cap into about twenty pieces and I think I fractured my skull."
As of now, lifesaving trauma one care in Primary Children’s ICU for patients like Matthew takes on a whole new meaning.
Robert Bolte, M.D., PCMC Trauma Service: "It means that we are one of ten children's hospitals in the country that has been certified by the only body in the country that does this kind of certification, the American College of Surgeons, to have the highest level of trauma care. If the most likely way your child is going to die is a trauma, it really makes sense to have a center in your area that knows what they're doing."
Doing for children like John and Jennifer Holbrook's. A bus traveling 50 miles per hour plowed into their car. Their son was the most seriously injured.
John Holbrook, Father: "The worst thing is to have your children injured and not only that to not be able to be with them and know exactly how they are."
Even though his parents were at other hospitals, the trauma one team at Primary took over, not only pulling Truman from death's door, but standing in as his second family.
Something else in required under a pediatric Level One designation. The hospital must teach aggressively to keep children safe--Gun safety, no ATV's, education in product safety, and the use of seat belts, and helmets.
Primary treats approximately 8,000 injured children each year. More than 350 end up critical under a Trauma One designation.
