Dublin hospital patients should have quicker access to critical care

After a nearly two-year process and an extensive review by the state, Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin has earned designation as a Level III trauma center.

The designation came from the Georgia Department of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma, according to a Wednesday news release from the hospital.

One of the most important benefits to patients taken to Fairview’s trauma center is quicker access to critical care for serious injuries and faster transfers when necessary, the release said.

“The designation ... represents a significant improvement in the care received by our patients each day,” hospital President/CEO Don Avery said in the release. “Fairview Park Hospital has many trauma patients coming to our ER each month, and the care they receive, and the speed with which they receive it, is significantly better as a result of the trauma program and the processes put in place during the preparation for our designation.”

Trauma center designation criteria set strict requirements for hospital staffing, physician sub-specialty availability, response times, education and training and increased focus on quality improvement, the release said.

Fairview hospital is a 190-bed acute care facility that has provided quality health care for Middle Georgia since 1982, with an estimated economic impact of $75 million annually, the release said.

This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Dublin hospital patients should have quicker access to critical care."