One month ago, Samaritan’s Trauma Team demonstrated exactly what it means to be prepared when seconds matter.

During the recent board meeting, Samaritan’s Board of Commissioners honored the coordinated response to the emergency by the Trauma Team and regional Emergency Medical Services, whose swift actions and collaboration exemplified the highest standards of emergency care.

In a matter of minutes on July 5, the Samaritan Emergency Department responded to two back-to-back trauma events, including a large-scale water rescue following a catastrophic collision between a jet ski and a ski boat on Moses Lake. The incident brought multiple patients to Samaritan at the same time, requiring rapid coordination across departments and other local and regional partners.

Thanks to the team’s expertise, preparation, and seamless coordination, two of the patients were stabilized and transferred within about two hours despite the severity of their injuries.

“To see this team come together to not only stabilize these patients, but to facilitate rapid blood transfusion and prepare them for transfer in such a short amount of time was incredible,” said Rebecca Suarez, Samaritan Emergency Department Director. “It takes every member of the team operating at the highest level to deliver that kind of care. On July 5, our community saw exactly what that preparation looks like.”

What makes the response even more remarkable is that the Emergency Department never slowed down. While managing the watercraft trauma event, the team also cared for a steady volume of emergency patients, including a separate motor vehicle trauma that arrived just 20 minutes later. By the end of the day, Samaritan’s Emergency Department had cared for 93 patients.

Moments like these reflect the countless hours of training and teamwork that prepare Samaritan’s Trauma Team for the unexpected. On July 5, that preparation translated into swift, coordinated care when our community needed it most, proving that this team is not only ready, but built for moments like these.