IU Health Arnett Hospital on Thursday was named the first level III trauma center in the state.
But not much will change in light of that new designation. That's because the hospital has been operating with those expanded trauma services since February, when the hospital was bestowed with a level III "in process" rating by the American College of Surgeons.
"Officially, what it boils down to is the care isn't going to change at all because we've been functioning as a level III for the past six months," said Marc Estes, medical director of emergency medicine for the hospital.
Still, the formal designation is a step forward for local medical care, marking the first of two prospective hospitals to achieve that status. St. Elizabeth East hospital received a level III "in process" rating in January and is on track to officially receive level III status.
"It means we have set the bar, basically, for trauma care," said Amanda Rardon, IU Health Arnett's trauma program manager.
A level III center is equipped to provide better and faster local care for patients seriously injured in incidents such as car accidents or shootings. Injuries are the leading cause of death for children and adults ages 1 to 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.