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May 2010

The Trauma Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center has been verified as a Level I Trauma Center and a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee of the American College of Surgeons. This achievement recognizes the trauma center’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

“This verification confirms that our experienced and talented trauma team continues to provide the highest level of care to the community,” states Gregg Adams, MD, Chair of the Department of Surgery and SCVMC Trauma Center surgeon. “We are proud and honored to receive the continued recognition of our ability to provide this essential medical service to Santa Clara County and the surrounding regions.”

Verified trauma centers must meet essential criteria that ensure the competence of their trauma care as outlined by the American College of Surgeon’s (ACS) Committee on Trauma. The first level of criteria is having trained and capable personnel and adequate facilities, as well as conducting ongoing self assessment.

Because of the wide range of injuries a patient brought to a trauma center is likely to experience, as a Level I Trauma Center, SCVMC has in place:

• Trauma Surgeons in-house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Anesthesiology services in-house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Neurotrauma care that is prompt and continuous for severe traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries
• Spinal injury care, traumatic brain injury care and rehabilitation capabilities
• Physician coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Qualified nurses available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Laboratory services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Radiologists services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• CT technologist in-house
• Physical therapy, Occupational Therapy and other rehabilitation resources available in-house
• Full spectrum of specialty surgical services: cardiac surgery, hand surgery, microvascular surgery, neurosurgery, obstetric and gynecologic surgery, orthopedic surgery, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, podiatry and urology.

In addition, the ACS Committee on Trauma provides confirmation that a trauma center has demonstrated it commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients

There are five separate categories of verification, and each category has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification. As part of this process, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center had an on-site review by an experienced team who followed the ACS guidelines in conducting their review.

SCVMC was verified as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center because the volume of patients is not high enough to qualify as a Level I center. Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital is also a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center. The other adult trauma centers in Santa Clara County are Stanford University Hospital (Level I) and Regional Medical Center (Level II).

Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the verification program promotes the advancement of trauma centers in which hospitals provide not only the resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to deal with the needs of seriously or critically injured patients.