#Trauma center levels of care verification#

24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.

Meets minimum requirement for annual volume of severely injured patients.Ī Level II Trauma Center is able to initiate definitive care for all injured patients.Įlements of Level II Trauma Centers Include:.

Program for substance abuse screening and patient intervention.

Operates an organized teaching and research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care.

Incorporates a comprehensive quality assessment program.

Provides continuing education of the trauma team members.

Provides leadership in prevention, public education to surrounding communities.

Referral resource for communities in nearby regions.

24-hour in-house coverage by general surgeons, and prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial, pediatric and critical care.

A Level I Trauma Center is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury – from prevention through rehabilitation.Įlements of Level I Trauma Centers Include: Level I Trauma Center is a comprehensive regional resource that is a tertiary care facility central to the trauma system.

a Trauma Center may be a Level I Adult facility and also a Level II Pediatric Facility). It is not uncommon for facilities to have different designations for each group (ie. Facilities are designated/verified as Adult and/or Pediatric Trauma Centers. Outlined below are common criteria for Trauma Centers verified by the ACS and also designated by states and municipalities. Use of Brain Trauma Foundation’s Guidelines for topics such as adult and pediatric head injury, prehospital management, surgical management, penetrating injury, and acute spine and spinal cord injury is strongly recommended for all trauma centers.Īs mentioned above, Trauma categories vary from state to state.

#Trauma center levels of care verification#

Part of the verification process includes requiring all members of the trauma team to be knowledgeable about current practices in neurotrauma care and the best evidence for the care of the neurotrauma patient, including head, spine/spinal cord, and peripheral nerve injury. This is a voluntary process by the Trauma Center and lasts for a 3-year period. The ACS does not designate trauma centers but verifies the presence of the resources listed in Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient. Trauma Center Verification is an evaluation process done by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to evaluate and improve trauma care. Pediatric trauma surgery is its own speciality and adult trauma surgeons are not generally specialized in providing surgical trauma care to children, and vice versa. For example, a Level 1 adult trauma center may also be a Level II pediatric trauma center. If a hospital provides trauma care for both adult and pediatric patients, the Level designation may not be the same for each group. These categories may vary from state to state.Ī facility can be designated an adult trauma center, a pediatric trauma center, or an adult & pediatric trauma center. The state or local municipality identifies unique criteria in which to categorize Trauma Centers. Trauma Center designation is a process outlined and developed at a state or local level. Being at a Level 1 trauma center provides the highest level of surgical care for trauma patients. Level I, II, III, IV or V) refer to the kinds of resources available within a trauma center and the number of patients admitted yearly. Trauma centers across the United States are identified by a designation process and a verification process.