STAFF REPORTS
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ROCHESTER — Strong Memorial Hospital’s Kessler Trauma Center has been re-verified as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), signifying that its people, technology and facilities meet the nation’s highest standards for delivering a coordinated response to injured patients. Level I verification—the highest possible for a trauma center—recognizes the program for its ability to provide comprehensive care for patients from pre-admission through rehabilitation, as well as its work within the community to prevent tragic injuries.
More than 2,000 patients a year arrive by ambulance or helicopter to the Kessler Trauma Center which is the only designated Level I trauma facility in the nine-county Finger Lakes region. It is also the first trauma center in New York State to be re-verified by the ACS’ Committee on Trauma, which promotes the development of trauma centers that can provide a full spectrum of care to injured patients. The verification also recognizes the Kessler Trauma Center for offering educational programs for health care providers, and targeted injury and violence prevention programs for members of the community. The Kessler Trauma Center was first verified by the ACS in 2014.
“The Kessler Trauma Center is an essential life-saving resource for people across our region, and this is another affirmation of the level of care they can expect from the time they come through our doors through their transition home,” says Strong Memorial Hospital chief operating officer and executive vice president Kathy Parrinello, RN, PhD. “Our trauma team is also deeply invested in, and committed to, the health of our community and to reducing the volume of life-threatening accidents and injuries through education and prevention efforts.”
Trauma program director Mark Gestring, MD,says the successful Level I verification “is a credit to all of the dedicated professionals at Strong Memorial Hospital who provide complex injury care. Verification at this level is not easy, it is a true team effort, and we are very proud to have achieved this level of national recognition. As a regional center, we strive to provide the best trauma care possible for those who need us.”
Trauma centers across the United States are identified in two fashions—through designation and verification. The different levels (I, II, III, IV or V) refer to the kinds of resources available in a trauma center and the number of patients admitted yearly. Trauma Center designation is the function of local, regional, or state health care agencies.
Hospitals voluntarily request ACS verification, which is made following a rigorous on-site review to evaluate and improve trauma care. Specifically, the ACS verifies the presence of the resources listed in Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient, which include commitment, readiness, resources, policies, patient care, and performance improvement.
As a Level I Trauma Center, the Kessler Trauma Center provides total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention through rehabilitation.
This includes:
- Offering 24-hour coverage by trauma surgeons, and prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial, pediatric surgery and critical care
- Being a resource for communities in nearby regions
- Providing leadership in prevention, public education to surrounding communities
- Providing continuing education of the trauma team members
- Incorporating a comprehensive quality assessment program
- Operating an organized teaching and research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care
- Having a program for substance abuse screening and patient intervention
- Meeting minimum requirements for annual volume of severely injured patients.
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. With more than 72,000 members, it is the largest association of surgeons in the world. Longstanding achievements have placed the ACS in the forefront of American surgery and have made it an important advocate for all surgical patients.
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