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Billings Clinic announces pursuit of Level I Trauma designation, $30M campaign – Daily Montanan

['Keila Szpaller', 'More From Author', '- March']

Date: 2022-03-24 00:00:00

Billings Clinic announced Thursday that it’s pursuing a Level I Trauma Center designation to offer the highest level of lifesaving care in the region — and a $30 million capital campaign is underway to achieve the distinction.

“This is a transformational effort that will increase the level of lifesaving trauma care for patients and families across Montana and Wyoming,” said Billings Clinic CEO Scott Ellner in a statement from the clinic. “Level I is the gold standard for trauma care and aligns with Billings Clinic’s commitment to innovation in quality care, safety, education, and health care research.”

Serving Montana, Wyoming and the western Dakotas, Billings Clinic describes itself as Montana’s largest independent health system. It counts 304 beds and 4,700 employees including nearly 600 physicians and advanced practitioners.

The American College of Surgeons designates Level I Trauma Centers as comprehensive care facilities with large patient capacity and the ability to treat patients with more severe injuries and provide the highest level of care to those who are critically ill or injured, according to the news release from the Billings Clinic.

Billings Clinic Foundation Pledges The $30 million fundraising effort already has received pledges, including a gift of $7 million from the Philip N. Fortin Foundation, a $1 million gift from Tim and Carmen Sheehy and an anonymous $5 million gift, the Clinic said. “We are excited about what this means for the future of Billings and the surrounding region in helping to provide this critical trauma need while enhancing care,” said Danielle Moore, Vice President of the Fortin Foundation of Florida, in a statement. “Philip would be pleased to know we are continuing his good work and taking care of Montanans through this commitment.” Philip N. Fortin was a member of the Billings Clinic (then Deaconess Medical Center) governing board in the 1970s and was a strong community advocate and leader.

Billings Clinic was designated as Montana’s first Level II Trauma Center in 1992, and it’s the busiest such center in both Montana and Wyoming, the Clinic said. The Clinic noted the closest Level I Centers to Billings are in Salt Lake City, Denver and Seattle.

Since 2010, the Clinic said demand to treat trauma patients has grown 55 percent. The effort to reach Level I status is expected to take roughly two or three years, and once it receives the designation, it will be able to better support the region including rural areas.

“Billings Clinic already offers the most comprehensive and highest level of trauma care in the region,” said Michael Englehart, general and trauma surgeon and Billings Clinic medical director of trauma services, in a statement. “ … The unique geography and demographics we serve mean that we have unique needs and challenges in treating trauma patients, and the infrastructure and resources of a Level I Trauma center will help meet those needs for our entire region.”

To support the initiative, the Billings Clinic Foundation is kicking off a $30 million capital campaign, the largest in Billings Clinic’s history. The Foundation has already secured $13 million in pledges.

The news release said an integrated trauma network will link health care facilities across the region to ensure that every step in a trauma patient’s care journey is connected. Billings Clinic Foundation’s capital campaign will provide funding to expand operating rooms, build a new state-of-the-art transfer center to reduce transport delays, build a dedicated Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and expand the Emergency Department.

“Advancing to Level I is a goal that will serve people across our vast multi-state region. Donors will have the opportunity to join us in helping Billings Clinic continue a proud history of raising the level of expert care like they have for decades,” said Jim Duncan, Billings Clinic Foundation president, in a statement. “We are so grateful to the three donors that stepped up first with $13 million to kick off this important campaign.”

To learn more, visit www.billingsclinic.com/trauma. To support the work, visit www.billingsclinicfoundation. com.

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