Verified Trauma Center - American College of Surgeons

Frankfort Regional Medical Center announced it has been reverified as a Level III Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the trauma center's dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients. The verification lasts for a period of three years. The hospital was first verified as a Level III Trauma Center in May 2013.

“Providing immediate care for trauma patients is critical in helping to save lives,” says Chip Peal, Chief Executive Officer at Frankfort Regional Medical Center. “Level III Trauma Center reverification demonstrates the hospital’s continued commitment and service to the community of providing high quality care.”

Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the COT's Consultation/Verification 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.

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.

The ACS Committee on Trauma's verification program does not designate trauma centers. Rather, the program provides confirmation that a trauma center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients. The actual establishment and the designation of trauma centers is the function of local, regional, or state health care systems agencies, such as the local emergency medical services (EMS) authority.

There are five separate categories of verification in the COT's program. Each category has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification. Each hospital has an on-site review by a team of experienced site reviewers, who use the current Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual as a guideline in conducting the survey.

As a Level III Trauma Center, Frankfort Regional Medical Center meets the essential criteria as a trauma center capable of 24-hour emergency, operative and critical care. The hospital provides prompt assessment, resuscitation, emergency surgery and stabilization of trauma victims. This heightened level of care is provided by having trauma surgeons on call and trauma trained staff available all the time to diagnose and treat patients. The hospital continues to offer patients 24/7 access to other physician specialists including orthopedics, neurology (stroke), cardiovascular, obstetrics, gastroenterology, and gynecology.

Level III Trauma Center verification further solidifies the hospital’s dedication to providing optimal care for patients in its service area. To become a Level III Trauma Center, Frankfort Regional Medical Center met stringent regulations. Additionally, each member of the trauma team—physicians, surgeons and nurses—fulfilled supplemental education requirements.

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