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Aspen Valley Hospital stands ready to help in case of any emergency. Board-certified physicians, plus a registered nursing staff with advanced trauma care training, ensure the best care when it is needed most.
Just a few weeks ago, on February 22, a threat was made to students of the Roaring Fork Valley. The community was a target of “swatting,” a term used to describe a hoax call to 911 designed to draw a response from law enforcement, usually a SWAT team.
Fortunately, the threats were false. But before our residents breathed a collective sigh of relief, the trauma center staff at Aspen Valley Hospital jumped into action.
“I was the trauma surgeon on call,” said Christopher Roseberry, MD, FACS, Trauma Medical Director at AVH. “I received a call from our emergency department stating that local authorities had contacted the hospital to brief us on the situation. We immediately activated to ER Surge level.”
ER Surge is an established process to help AVH organize for major emergencies and the possible influx of patients. In layman’s terms, it’s all hands on-deck.
“Almost immediately, we had two trauma surgeons, eight ER doctors and two pediatric physicians on site to treat patients,” Dr. Roseberry said. “We also had numerous nurses and technicians poised to assist.”
“Many people mistakenly believe that if you are severely injured, you come to AVH simply to be transferred. But the fact is most trauma victims remain here for treatment.”
– Christopher Roseberry, MD, FACS, Trauma Medical Director
From Rare Dangers to Frequent Injuries
Large-scale emergencies are uncommon here. And although injured patients are seen daily at the hospital, most cases are what Dr. Roseberry refers to as “gravity trauma.”
“In the winter, we see a lot of skiing accidents and falls from slipping,” Dr. Roseberry said. “Summertime brings a fair share of bicycle accidents from people coming down the mountain. Car and construction accidents are also frequent.”
AVH is designated as a Level III Trauma Center by the State of Colorado Department of Public Health Environment (CDPHE). This means the hospital always has an ER physician in-house and a general surgeon on call. Plus, radiology and internal medicine experts are available.
“Many people mistakenly believe that if you are severely injured, you come to AVH simply to be transferred,” Dr. Roseberry said. “But the fact is most trauma patients remain here for treatment.”
Patients typically aren’t transferred unless they require neurosurgery or prolonged intensive care. If relocation is needed, the trauma team is highly skilled in prepping the patient to minimize the risks of transfer.
We Are Prepared
Aspen Valley Hospital stands ready to help in case of any emergency. Board-certified physicians, plus a registered nursing staff with advanced trauma care training, ensure the best care when it is needed most. Additionally, AVH has a full scope of diagnostic capabilities and the hospital campus-based Aspen Ambulance to provide leading-edge pre-hospital care.
“Although we are a small hospital, we have incredibly skilled trauma personnel and exceptional treatment options,” Dr. Roseberry said. “We have the resources of a much larger healthcare facility so that we can provide the highest level of critical care for patients with life-threatening injuries.”
