Hospital: What is TSE?

Boundary Community Hospital is the first Pacific Northwest hospital to be awarded the Critical Access Hospital designation by the federal government, and with the upcoming Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency System, the hospital is working towards official TSE designations by meeting the stringent criteria as a Level IV Trauma, Level III Stroke, and Level II STEMI (Heart Attack) Center.

Time Sensitive Emergencies: What You Need to Know about Heart Attack, Stroke and Trauma, will be presented by Dr. Stu Willis, Emergency Department Director at Boundary Community Hospital, 5 p.m. on Nov. 29, at the University of Idaho Extension Office in Bonners Ferry.

The hospital invites and encourages everyone to come hear more about the TSE system of care and how local emergency services are working together to implement the system in Boundary County.

“As a rural community, we have an obligation to provide services that improve survivability,” Willis said. “However, we need the community to be aware of the signs and symptoms of time-sensitive emergencies so they can get help as fast as possible, whether it’s the paramedics with advanced life support training, the Hospital Emergency Department staff, or Life Flight transporting the patients to a higher level care. Prevention education is a key component of this, especially in regards to injuries and major trauma.”

According to Willis, the 2014 Idaho Legislature approved and funded a plan to develop a statewide TSE system of care that includes three of the top five causes of death in Idaho: trauma, stroke, and heart attack. Willis said studies show that organized systems of care improve patient outcomes, reduce the frequency of preventable death, and improve the quality of life of the patient.

Boundary Ambulance EMTs and paramedics work with Life Flight Network and the hospital to establish processes and procedures based on the regional guidelines, according to Willis. In 2012, 49.1% of preventable deaths in Idahoans under age 75 were the result of trauma, stroke, or heart attack.

Willis said the TSE initiative is putting processes in place so the right patient gets the right care at the right time, helping to ensure an optimal outcome, especially when time is critical. The goals of the TSE system are to decrease mortality and improve patient recovery by providing the rapid movement of patients to centers for definitive treatment.

The TSE System could potentially save 244 lives annually in Idaho, according to the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare.

Hospital CEO Craig Johnson said the hospital is investing in the community through the fully-staffed Emergency Department with physicians and nurses experienced in emergency medicine, and certified in advanced trauma, cardiac, and pediatric care. The Clinical Medical Laboratory and Diagnostic Imaging technologists are also available 24/7 so that tests can be performed when time is critical for patient treatment in a TSE.

“At Boundary Community Hospital, our goal is to provide the community with timely healthcare services that are second to none,” Johnson said. “Whether it’s emergency services or long term care, inpatient or outpatient.”

To introduce the community to the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency Initiative, Dr. Willis is speaking with community and church groups about “What You Need to Know About Heart Attack, Stroke and Trauma. If you would like to have Dr. Willis speak with your group, call 267-6912 to get on the calendar or visit www.boundarycommunityhospital.org.