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MILWAUKEE (1/24/2008) - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin has been re-verified as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. This achievement recognizes the hospital's expertise in providing the highest level of care to injured patients, from newborns through adolescents. The hospital first became designated as a Level I Trauma Center in May 2001. Children's Hospital is one of only three Level I Trauma Centers in the state.
"Children's Hospital's Emergency Department/Trauma Center is one of the busiest in the nation, handling more than 60,000 visits annually," said Andrea Winthrop, MD, pediatric surgeon and medical director of the Trauma Program at Children's Hospital. "More than 1,100 injured patients are admitted to the hospital each year. This verification ensures that we continue to provide the highest level of care to children in our community." Winthrop is an associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Key elements of Level I Trauma Center status include:
Trauma surgeons, medical specialists and subspecialists must be in the hospital and available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Specialized facilities, including emergency services and an operating room dedicated to and ready for trauma cases. Neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, specially trained trauma nurses, anesthesia services, intensive care units, rehabilitation services, CT and other imaging facilities available for trauma patients at any time of the day or night. A trauma director, trauma registry, a coordinator, outreach programs and an organized research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care.
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Committee on Trauma's Verification/Consultation Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance. For more information about the American College of Surgeons, visit facs.org.
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