Idaho Code § 56-1024
Time sensitive emergencies, specifically blunt trauma injuries, strokes and heart attacks, were three (3) of the top five (5) causes of deaths in Idaho in 2011. Numerous studies throughout the United States have demonstrated that organized systems of care improve patient outcomes, thus reducing the frequency of preventable death and improving the functional status of the patient. The institute of medicine's report "Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point" recommended improving the care of critical illness through regionalization by transporting critically ill patients to designated specialized care centers when appropriate. Early treatment and transfer when necessary will save the lives of Idahoans stricken with these emergency conditions. Trauma systems of care are well understood as they have existed in many other states for decades. It is the intent of this legislation to create an integrated and responsive system of care for Idaho citizens. The trauma component will serve as the initial framework in a deliberate, incremental implementation approach for a comprehensive system of care for time sensitive emergencies in Idaho. The time sensitive emergency system in Idaho is intended to be voluntary and inclusive. The system will be designed such that all facilities, and in particular critical access hospitals, have the opportunity to participate. No facility shall be excluded from receiving medically appropriate patients based solely on the facility's decision of not seeking designation.
Idaho Code § 56-1024