Statewide Trauma System

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System Background
Minnesota’s statewide trauma system was established in July 2005 when Gov. Pawlenty signed legislation into law charging the Commissioner of Health to adopt criteria ensuring that severely injured people are promptly transported and treated at trauma hospitals appropriate to the severity of their injuries. In conjunction with the enactment of the trauma system law, the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board was successful in initiating complementary legislation to ensure the ambulance services are prepared to participate in a statewide trauma system.

EMS Requirements
With the implementation the of the new statewide trauma system, licensed ambulance services will be required to have written, age-appropriate triage and transport guidelines consistent with the criteria issued by the State Trauma Advisory Council (STAC) and approved by the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board (EMSRB). The EMSRB may approve an ambulance service’s requested deviations from the guidelines due to the availability of local or regional trauma resources if the changes are in the best interest of the patient's health. The EMSRB statute, Minn. Stat., sec. 144E.101, subd. 14, requires the guidelines to be established and approved by July 1, 2010.

Trauma System Criteria
Minnesota Statutes, section 144.604 effective July 1, 2010 requires that EMS transport major trauma patients with a compromised airway immediately to the nearest designated trauma hospital if one exists within 30 minutes transport time. If no trauma hospital exists within 30 minutes, transport patients with a compromised airway to the closest hospital; and:

EMS transport major trauma patients to a level I or II trauma hospital if one exists within 30 minutes transport time;
If no level I or II trauma hospital exists within 30 minutes, transport to the closest trauma hospital, or to a more appropriate, higher–designated trauma hospital if predetermined by the ambulance service medical director;
If no designated trauma hospital exists within 30 minutes transport time, transport to the closest hospital.

This “30 minute rule” means that an undesignated hospital will be bypassed for a designated trauma hospital that is within 30 minutes transport time.