Children's treats most severe traumas

Trauma program at Children's receives renewal of Level I Trauma Designation

Children's Medical Center Dallas remains tops in pediatric trauma care for children under 13 in the state of Texas.

The hospital was the first free-standing pediatric institution in the state and in the Southwest to qualify for Trauma Level I status in 2005. The program was re-designated by the State of Texas this week. Both the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) are responsible for administering the rigorous survey to attain this elite trauma designation.

Trauma Level I is rare and prestigious

Only 14 pediatric hospitals in the U.S. hold a Trauma Level I designation, and Children's ranks as one of the largest and busiest programs in patient volume. In 2007, the hospital admitted 1,429 trauma patients and saw more than 13,000 trauma cases. Children's is the only pediatric hospital in Texas and in the Southwest designated as a Level I trauma center. The closest centers outside Dallas are in Denver and Indianapolis.

"Attaining Level I trauma designation status is a significant benchmark for any hospital, but maintaining it over the long-haul means the institutional commitment by Children's is rock solid," said Steve Janda, trauma systems director for TDSHS. "It should be a great source of community pride to know that top-notch trauma care is available to the children of the Dallas community and surrounding areas."

What this means for your child

The designation means Children's meets the highest standards in trauma service and has committed resources to care for all types of childhood traumas. Level I institutions care for the large numbers of injured patients with a high level of severity of injury. The vast array of medical specialties required to be available 24 hours a day to treat any aspect of a trauma case is a signature of the program, which requires highly coordinated and specialized efforts.

"Receiving a renewal of Trauma Level I designation is really a testament to the entire trauma team," said Dr. Steve Megison, chief of trauma at Children's and professor of surgery at UT Southwestern. "It is the dedication of everyone from our injury prevention team to nursing to our physical therapy teams that makes this happen for our patients every day."

To receive Trauma Level I status, a hospital must provide:

• 24-hour coverage by trauma surgeons.
• 24-hour in house coverage by pediatric emergency medicine specialists.
• 24-hour in-house coverage by anesthesiology and operating room personnel.
• Prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery and plastic surgery.
• Immediate availability of the trauma intensive care unit and critical care physicians.
• Comprehensive radiology, including interventional radiology.
• 24-hour availability of the laboratory and blood bank.
• Substance abuse and alcohol screening.

Additionally, vital components of a Trauma Level I program also include outreach to educate the public about preventing injuries; education of community healthcare providers; and research programs to scientifically improve patient outcomes and to assess the efficacy of prevention efforts. Because of the amount of resources required for patient care, education and research, most Level I trauma centers are university-based teaching hospitals.

Trauma services staff receives accolades

"Surveyors from the ACS were very much impressed with changes in leadership just prior to survey and the fact that the department continued to move forward and grow with the addition of three new key leaders," said Lori Vinson, RN, Trauma program manager. "ACS commended the entire Trauma Services staff for its professionalism and competency during the survey process," Vinson said.

The American College of Surgeons created national guidelines for the purpose of optimizing trauma care in the U.S. To accomplish this objective, it established criteria for reviewing trauma centers to ensure that they provide an organized and systematic approach to the care of the injured patient.

Tags: level, one, trauma, designation