December 13, 2006
Marquette General Hospital
Receives Verification as Level II Trauma Center
Verification from American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma
Marquette General Hospital has been verified as
a Level II Trauma
Center by the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College
of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the hospital's
dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients. The
verification must be renewed every three years.
larger view click here >>
Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that
ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as
outlined by the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma
in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient
manual.
“This is a tremendous achievement for our entire hospital,”
said Marquette General Health System CEO Bill Nemacheck. “Verification
as a Level II Trauma Center is the highest level possible for
a hospital that is not an integral part of a university medical
center.”
In order to achieve Level II verification, Marquette General appointed
a Trauma Committee in 2004, and charged it with the responsibility
of assuring Marquette General would meet the 179 necessary criteria.
The effort has been spearheaded by surgeon and Trauma Director
John
Kosinski MD and Trauma Coordinator Jodi McCollum PA.
“Because of our committed staff, we were
able to accomplish this verification in only two and a half years.
It’s unprecedented for any hospital to achieve this in such
a short timeframe,” said Kosinski.
“Residents of the Upper Peninsula need to understand what
this means for them,” Koskinsi said. “One of the most
obvious benefits is that when a trauma patient is inbound to our
Emergency Department, an entire trauma team is assembled, gowned,
and ready when the patient comes through the doors.”
McCollum enumerated other factors that must be present in a Level
II Trauma Center.
“A trauma surgeon is on call at all times, and that person
must be within 15 minutes of the hospital,” said McCollum.
“Other physician specialties such as neurosurgery must also
be immediately available.
“There are strict time frames in which trauma
diagnostics and treatment must be initiated, and specialized equipment
must also be available,” McCollum said. “The severity
of the patient’s injuries determines the level of activation,
or the size of the responding trauma team.”
Emergency Department
and ICU nurses must undergo ongoing specialty training in trauma
care, and a core group of surgeons and emergency department physicians
must complete specific continuing education courses on trauma
once a year.
Other aspects of a Level II center include data collection and
reporting, tracking of trauma patients throughout their hospital
stay, and public education on trauma prevention and safety.
“The American College of Surgeons is very specific in emphasizing
that Trauma Center care begins at the scene of an accident, continues
in the ambulance, the emergency department, and through every
phase of care including physical rehabilitation and discharge,”
said trauma surgeon Patrick
Bulinski, M.D. “In effect, a Level II Trauma Center
is not just the Emergency Department or emergency care; it is
a hospital-wide standard of care and commitment to the injured
patient.”
The 30–member Trauma Committee comprises staff from each
department involved in every aspect of caring for injured patients,
as well as administration, trauma surgeons and multiple physician
specialists. The committee scrutinizes every department caring
for the injured patient, with emphasis on continuous improvement
in patient care.
“We also are working with community hospitals throughout
the region to develop a U.P. Trauma Network,” Kosinski said.
“In a region like ours, close cooperation and communication
are essential in transporting trauma patients to the primary care
hospital, with possible transfer to a trauma center for treatment.”
There are four separate categories of verification
in the American College of Surgeons program. Each category
has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that
level of verification.
Level I Trauma Centers have very large volumes of trauma patients
and research requirements. They must also have all subspecialties
in-house.
Level II Centers have very similar expectations without the large
patient volumes. All subspecialties such as orthopaedic surgery
and neurosurgery must be available, and the trauma surgeon must
be immediately available when a trauma patient arrives.
Level III Centers have 24-hour emergency departments with trauma
surgeon coverage, but are not required to have subspecialty physicians
such as ortho and neurosurgery.
Level IV Centers have 24-hour emergency department coverage, but
are not required to have a trauma surgeon available at all times.
Each hospital must have an on-site review by a team of experienced
trauma surgeons, who use the current American College of Surgeons
guidelines in conducting the survey.
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational
association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the
standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the
care of the surgical patient. The College has 59,000 members and
is the largest association of surgeons in the world. Longstanding
achievements have placed the College in the forefront of American
surgery and have made it an important advocate for all surgical
patients.
For questions or more information on the trauma program, please
call the Marquette General Trauma Department at 906-225-4615 or
1-800-562-9753, extension 4615. For emergency care, call 911 or
your local emergency number.
