About the Council

West Region EMS & Trauma Care Council, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. The Council is empowered by legislative authority (RCW 70.168.010-70.168.900) and Department of Health Administrative Code (WAC 246.976) to plan, develop, and administer the EMS and trauma care system in the 4.5 counties that make up the Region: Grays Harbor, Lewis, N. Pacific, Pierce and Thurston. It is one of eight regional councils statewide and funded primarily through a contract with the Office of Emergency Medical and Trauma Prevention (link), Washington State Department of Health (DOH).

The Council assists DOH in addressing four fundamental questions:

What are the causes of trauma identified by communities within the West Region?
Is trauma care readily available in the region?
Is the system efficient and effective?
What is needed to implement and/or improve the system?

The West Region Trauma System Plan (download) details the Council's answers and recommendations. The plan seeks to continuously improve a model system that effectively treats and rehabilitates trauma victims. Preventing injury altogether or reducing injury severity also play an important part. A fully functional trauma system addresses education, prevention, rapid communications, prehospital care, in-patient trauma care, rehabilitation, a trauma data registry and a quality assurance/improvement program.