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10/8/2009
The Emergency Department at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center has been verified 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.
“We are very pleased to have achieved this designation,” said Clark Taylor, chief executive officer of Ephraim McDowell Health. “We are one of only two hospitals in the state to be designated as a Level III Trauma Center.”
The designation as a Level III Trauma Center means that the Emergency Department provides not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. 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 September, a team of site reviewers visited the Emergency Department to confirm that the physicians and staff follow guidelines for providing optimal care for injured patients. As a result of that visit, the Emergency Department earned verification as a Level III Trauma Center.
Achieving the designation as a Level III Trauma Center was the collaborative effort of a team led by Sally Davenport, chief nursing officer at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center; Debbie Goodwin, director of the Emergency Department; Dr. Eric Guerrant, medical director of the Emergency Department; Dr. Paul P. DeLuca, trauma medical director at the Regional Medical Center; and Laryn Mertz, R.N., trauma nurse manager at the Regional Medical Center.
“We are extremely proud of our Associates for their hard work to warrant this distinction but we are more proud of what this means for the residents of our community. It means we have the right people and the right tools to provide for all your healthcare needs,” Taylor said.
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