St. Vincent Healthcare has announced its plan to become a certified Level I Trauma Center by early 2024.

The announcement was made Tuesday by Representatives from the hospital’s owner, Intermountain Healthcare, Miles City-based Holy Rosary Healthcare, and Wyoming-based Cody Regional Health spoke about the new changes.

Jen Alderfer, the president of St. Vincent Hospital and Intermountain Health, announced the launching of a ground transportation program, and a joint-ventured, hospital-owned flight program in partnership with Cody Regional Health located in Cody, Wyoming, called First Flight of Wyoming.

A new inter-facility ground ambulance service will also be added to provide transportation between Montana and Wyoming that begins this month, in April.

Cody Regional Health and St. Vincent are also to launching First Flight of Wyoming that starts this summer.

Without a new trauma center, the nearest facility is 600 miles away. Medical professionals tell Billings Beat it’s too expensive for patients and families who have loved ones in critical care to be forced to be transported hundreds of miles away and
having to set up a pseudo home in another city.

Level I Trauma Centers are designated by the American College of Surgeons and given to comprehensive care facilities with a large patient capacity and the ability to treat trauma patients while providing care to critically ill or injured patients.

According to the American College of Surgeons, a Level 1 Trauma Center is greatly needed to keep up with demand including a projected surgeon shortage in the future.