Billings Clinic Receives Level I Trauma Re-verification from ACS

Billings, MT— Billings Clinic has achieved Level I Trauma Re-verification from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT), reaffirming its ability to provide expert trauma and complex care closer to home for patients across Montana, Wyoming, and the western Dakotas.

This extends Billings Clinic’s Level I Trauma Verification through May 4, 2029, following a rigorous review of patient care, staffing, resources, and quality improvement efforts.

“No one plans for a traumatic injury or emergency, but when those moments happen, it's important that our communities know that exceptional trauma and complex care is here and ready,” said Billings Clinic Chief Medical Officer Erin Rains, DO. “The American College of Surgeons’ re-verification of Billings Clinic as a Level I Trauma Center reflects the dedication, expertise, and commitment of our caregivers and support teams. Together we stand ready for patients during their most critical moments.”

Billings Clinic became Montana’s first Level II Trauma Center in 1992 and the state's first Level I Trauma Center in 2023. Over the years, the vast region served by Billings Clinic has benefited from increased access to expert trauma and complex care closer to home when life changes in an instant. For patients and families, having this level of care at Billings Clinic can mean avoiding the need to travel an additional 500 miles or more to Denver, Salt Lake City, or Seattle. In trauma care, every minute matters.

Billings Clinic includes the busiest Emergency Department in Montana, along with the region's only Comprehensive Stroke Center and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, enhancing its ability to care for some of the most critically injured or ill patients closer to home. Since first earning Level I Trauma Center verification, Billings Clinic has seen a nearly 20% increase in trauma patients, with nearly half of those coming from outside the Billings area.

“Every day, our trauma team is ready for patients who never expected to need us,” said Billings Clinic President Todd Blake. “You hope no one ever has to experience that kind of emergency. But if they do, they deserve to know this level of care is here.”

Because trauma can happen anywhere, having the right care available when it is needed can make all the difference. In rural states like Montana, geography can create significant challenges, and patients travel hundreds of miles by ambulance, helicopter, or fixed-wing aircraft to receive specialized care in Billings.

"Level I trauma care is about a lot more than what happens in the operating room,” said Michael Englehart, MD, trauma medical director and trauma surgeon at Billings Clinic. “It’s about being ready before the patient ever gets here. Every part of the system has to work together, from the first responders in the field to the emergency department, the operating room, the ICU, and rehabilitation. That’s exactly what this re-verification recognizes. It reflects years of work, constant evaluation, close collaboration with first responders and partnering hospitals across the region, and a team that’s always asking how we can do even better for the next patient."

The American College of Surgeons Trauma Verification, Review and Consultation Program evaluates trauma centers through an external review of patient care, resources, and quality processes. The verification recognizes hospitals that have the people, systems, and expertise needed to provide expert trauma and complex care.

Billings Clinic also participates in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program and continues to be recognized as an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, reflecting its commitment to evaluating and improving trauma care.

About Billings Clinic

Billings Clinic and Logan Health are united as a not-for-profit, Montana-based, independent health care system focused on keeping people close to home and connecting care in communities throughout the region. The unified health system serves an area that includes most of Montana, northern Wyoming and the western Dakotas. A not-for-profit organization led by a physician CEO, Billings Clinic is governed by a board of community members, nurses and physicians. At its core, Billings Clinic is a physician-led, integrated multispecialty group practice with a 336-bed hospital and Montana’s first Level I Trauma Center. Billings Clinic is the largest trauma center and the first established and longest standing ACS-COT continually accredited trauma center in the state of Montana. Billings Clinic has more than 4,500 employees, including nearly 600 physicians and advanced practitioners offering more than 80 specialties. Billings Clinic is the first Magnet-designated health care organization in Montana and a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. More information can be found at www.billingsclinic.com.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 88,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.