BRIDGETON, Mo. — SSM Health is reducing trauma services at DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, citing a low number of trauma patients.
The Level II Trauma Center will be discontinued as of Sept. 10. The decision will leave north St. Louis County without a designated trauma center for urgent and severe injuries.
The Florissant Valley Fire Protection District said it has responded to around 12,220 EMS calls in the past 12 months. Of those, 4,417 were transported to DePaul Hospital with 704 having a traumatic injury, including fractures, lacerations or multi-system traumatic injuries.
Pattonville Fire Protection District in 2022 had 3,008 transports with 2,237 to DePaul. While 75% of its transports went to the hospital, not all were trauma-related.
The closest Level I Trauma Center from DePaul Hospital is Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur, which is a 13-minute drive from DePaul. Other Level I Trauma Centers, including Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Saint Louis University Hospital, are 24 and 27 minutes away, respectively.
Kevin Stuhlman, Assistant Fire Chief with Pattonville Fire Protection District said that on average it's an eight-minute transport from anywhere in their district to DePaul.
Now, it could take an additional 20 minutes to get to another trauma center.
Stuhlman worries about the loss of time, as calls have gone up.
"We have the 270 Corridor and we have a good section of the Page extension, our number one call that we run into are motor vehicle accidents," Stulhman said.
Mark Flauter is the Chief Medical Officer at Florissant Valley Fire Protection District.
Flauter said, "We have shooting and stabbings. We cover 270 and a fair share of vehicle accidents. We have Lindbergh, north US Highway 67, New Halls Ferry that run through our district. The blunt trauma from these accidents can cause internal bleeding and they need a trauma center and care in the operating room."
SSM Health said in a statement that it will work closely with local EMS providers during the transition. EMS may still bring patients to the Bridgeton hospital for "life-saving stabilization" before being transported to a local trauma-designated center.
"Overall, disappointed to see the trauma services reduced," Bridgeton Mayor Terry Briggs said in a statement. "I believe DePaul was the last hospital north of I-70 to offer this level of emergency care. I’m concerned about response times."
DePaul Hospital will continue to serve as a Level I center for treating strokes and heart attacks after the discontinued trauma services.
Stuhlman said they're ready to adjust.
"We’ll have to look at more fluid volume and use more drug and clot enhancement medication. Your fire service in general in North St. Louis County are aware of this, we’re planning for this and we’re not happy with it but we will give the best service we can," Stuhlman noted.
According to the American Trauma Society, a Level II Trauma Center is a facility that is able to initiate definitive care for all injured patients. A Level I Trauma Center "is a comprehensive regional resource that is a tertiary care facility central to the trauma system. A Level I Trauma Center is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury."
Read SSM Health's full statement:
"At SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis, we’re continually evaluating the services we provide to ensure we’re best meeting the evolving needs of the patients and community we are privileged to serve. Trauma care is a highly-specialized service – and medical best practice shows we must treat a minimum number of patients to maintain the level of experience, training and equipment a trauma program requires. Yet, only a very small percentage of individuals treated in our emergency room each year require trauma services. After careful deliberation and extensive input from our physicians and staff, we have decided to discontinue our Level II Trauma designation as of September 10, 2023.
"We will partner closely with our local EMS providers over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition. Individuals in need of these specialized services will still receive the expert care they need at other nearby trauma-designated centers, including SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital - St. Louis.
"Trauma patients are typically brought to hospitals by EMS. In some cases, EMS may choose to bring patients to DePaul Hospital for life-saving stabilization until they can be safely transported to a trauma-designated center.
"SSM Health remains committed to providing the right care at the right time, for those who need us. We will continue to provide comprehensive 24/7 emergency services to our patients and community. As a Level I Time Critical Diagnosis STEMI Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center, DePaul Hospital will continue to provide advanced, life-saving treatment to critically ill and injured patients. These certifications will not be affected by discontinuing our trauma status."