If you’re badly hurt in a crash near Clearlake, the ambulance now has a trauma center close by.
Adventist Health Clear Lake announced Nov. 2 that it has been designated a Level IV trauma center. It’s the second in Lake County, after Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.
The difference shows up in where injured people go. Under the trauma rules of North Coast Emergency Medical Services, which runs the emergency medical system for Lake County, injured patients anywhere in the county are now taken to whichever of the two trauma centers is closer. The version of those rules dated December 2023 named one trauma center, Sutter Lakeside, and assigned it only the patients within 25 minutes of Lakeport. The current version, dated March 31, names both hospitals.
What a Level IV center does
Level IV centers play a vital role in rural areas, the hospital said. They provide emergency care around the clock and advanced trauma life support, and they can stabilize a patient before a transfer to a larger trauma center when that’s needed. The most seriously injured, such as people with penetrating injuries to the head, neck or torso, still go to the highest-level trauma center available, under the county’s rules.
“This designation reflects years of dedication, collaboration, and a commitment to improving care for our community,” said Dr. Linnea Lantz, the hospital’s trauma medical director. “Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that patients experiencing traumatic injuries receive timely, life-saving care close to home.”
A request from 2020
The hospital first asked for the designation in 2020, according to North Coast EMS’s 2022 plan, and the pandemic put the request on hold. The hospital said the final push took two to three years and ended with an on-site review in which 16 of its staff members took part. The emergency room, radiology, surgery and intensive care units all worked on it.
“This milestone enhances our ability to serve Lake County and reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care when it matters most,” said Chuck Kassis, the hospital’s operations executive.
Get the Gazette by email
The day’s stories from Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties, picked by the editor. Free.