A rural regional trauma center

New developments in the organization of trauma care management at the Mayo Clinic are presented along with a review of the first 4 years’ experience of a Regional Trauma Center at the Mayo Clinic-affiliated Saint Marys Hospital. Application of the Injury Severity Score (ISS) in the analysis of blunt traumatic deaths has permitted an internal evaluation of trauma care, as well as comparison with other reported emergency trauma care delivery systems. Although additional challenges remain, results indicate that the trauma center concept can be applied just as effectively in a rurally located tertiary facility as in a large metropolitan area.