Frequently Asked Questions

EMS & Trauma FAQ’s

Q: How can I receive follow up on a patient I brought to Sky Ridge?

A: You have several convenient options. First, when you bring a patient to our Emergency Department, simply ask the nurse or physician for follow up. Any other time, you may request follow up through our office via email at SRMC.EMS@HCAHealthcare.com or by calling us at 720-225-4EMS.

Q: How do I request a face sheet?

A: If you are in the Emergency Department, any one of our staff members can assist you. If you are away from the hospital, you can call us at 720-225-4EMS or fax a request to 720-225-1479.

Q: What type of trauma patients can you care for?

A: Like medical patients, we will accept ALL trauma patients for initial evaluation and stabilization. Sky Ridge is a Level III Trauma Center. This means that we have Emergency Department physicians and nurses trained in trauma resuscitation and we have trauma surgeons at the bedside within 20 minutes of your call. If after the initial stabilization, the trauma team determines the patient needs transport to a higher level of care, we are able to access our AirLIFE medical transport team located on the Sky Ridge Campus—named the #1 Air Ambulance Program of the Year in 2010.

In addition to our primary resuscitation team, Sky Ridge has a wide variety of specialists on call including:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatric surgery
  • Cardiothoracic surgery
  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • OB/GYN
  • Otolaryngology
  • Spine
  • Urology
  • Vascular
  • Intensivists
  • Pulmonology
  • Oral and maxiofacial surgery
  • Plastic surgery
  • ENT
  • Hand trauma
  • Ophthalmology

According to the State Trauma Surveyor in 2010: "Sky Ridge has commitment and resources that match most higher level trauma centers in the state." In 2007, the State Trauma Surveyor stated: "Sky Ridge has raised the bar for Level III Trauma Centers in Colorado."

Q: Do you participate in the Cardiac Alert program?

A: We actively participate in the cardiac alert program. Once EMS has determined that the patient meets cardiac alert criteria, the EMS team calls a cardiac alert, and our cath lab team responds to the bedside. We have two cath labs as well as the only open-heart surgery program in the south Denver region. In 2009, our cath lab treated 95 patients. Our door to balloon (DBT) time average was 52 minutes, well below the national standard of 90 minutes. In 2009, our cardiac program performed 61 open-heart procedures. This summer (2010), we treated our 5000th cath lab patient.

Q: Do you participate in Stroke Alert?

A: Yes! Once an EMS crew determines that the patient meets stroke alert criteria, the alert is called and the ED prepares for your arrival. Radiology preps the CT machine and Neurology is also contacted. Upon EMS arrival, the ED physician will stabilize the patient and rapidly move the patient to Radiology for a priority CT scan. After the CT is complete, the ED physician and neurologist determine the next most appropriate treatment.

Q: Do you participate in Sepsis Alert?

A: Yes! Actually the hospital has been doing an internal sepsis alert since it opened in 2003. We are excited to see this expand to EMS. During a sepsis alert, in addition to the ED staff, ICU, laboratory and our intensivists respond to the patient’s bedside in the ED. The team begins rapid implementation of the early goal-directed therapy recognized internationally as a best practice.

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