Amrican College Of Surgeons

Lutheran Hospital has been verified as a Level II Trauma Center and a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center by the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes a trauma center's dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.Established by the ACS in 1987, the COT'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. This spectrum encompasses the prehospital phase through the rehabilitation process."Achieving verification as a Level II Trauma Center for both adult and pediatric patients clearly demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care," says Joe Dorko, chief executive officer of Lutheran Hospital. "Successfully completing this voluntary process is yet another example of Lutheran's belief that we need to measure ourselves against external standards in order to continue improving the care we deliver to patients. As the regional leader in specialized care, we have an important responsibility to utilize our talents and resources to their fullest extent."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. An important step towards verification is the appointment of a trauma medical director, a requirement that was fulfilled at Lutheran in 2007 when Donald N. Reed, Jr., MD, joined the medical staff."This verification process is rigorous and personnel requirements extend well beyond having trauma-trained surgeons as the medical directors of both adult and pediatric trauma centers," says Dr. Reed. "The total hospital commitment includes specially-trained emergency room physicians and nurses; surgical and medical specialists who meet very particular administrative and educational requirements; dedicated nurses in the pediatric and adult intensive care units; not to mention the many dedicated technicians in various departments. I have been impressed by our progress over the past couple of years and the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons has now officially recognized that, as well."