Trauma Systems

Montana Trauma System’s charge is to build and maintain an inclusive comprehensive system that addresses the daily demands of traumatic injury in Montana. Montana hospitals must be able to provide optimal care for the injured and to function within a regionalized system of care to facilitate rapid transfer to definitive care when appropriate. The obstacles that health care professionals and patients face in rural areas are vastly different than those in urban areas. Rural trauma care in Montana is complicated by geographic isolation, time between injury and discovery, extrication issues, distance to immediate healthcare and local health care resource availability. Due to the vast distances between health care facilities in Montana, all pre-hospital providers and even some rural clinics must be prepared to provide initial care to injured patients while simultaneously expediting their transfer to definitive care. It is this level of preparation and organization that has been proven nationally to reduce the number of preventable deaths and disabilities.

A trauma system is organized to protect the people from unnecessary deaths and morbidity due to trauma. Mature trauma systems encompass a full continuum of service components – from injury research and prevention, pre- hospital care, and hospital care – to rehabilitative services and performance improvement activities.

Montana Trauma System's vision and mission statements reflect the intent of enabling legislation and the State Trauma Care Committee’s commitment to building a comprehensive, inclusive statewide care coordination system that meets nationally recognized standards and requirements.

Our Vision

The vision for the Montana Trauma System is to be a statewide system of high quality, cost effective, emergency medical services and trauma care for all adult and pediatric residents and Indian Nations within the state borders and visitors to the state.

Our Mission

The mission of the Montana Trauma System is to implement a sustainable, comprehensive emergency medical and trauma system for Montanans that measurably prevents and reduces morbidity and mortality

To achieve the goal of decreasing the burden of injury in a state or region, a trauma system needs to develop a network of acute care facilities, personnel, and organizational entities that function in an organized and coordinated manner in a defined geographic area.  Committee on Trauma- American College of Surgeons; Resources For Optimal Care of the Injured Patient, 2014