VCU news

By Eric Peters

The American College of Surgeons this week named the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University as Virginia’s first Level I pediatric trauma center. It joins 39 other such centers across the country that demonstrate the highest level of patient care, education and research.

"This designation is confirmation of the superior care Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU provides for children and their families every day,” said Sheldon Retchin, M.D., senior vice president for health sciences and CEO of the VCU Health System. “This level of outstanding care for children can only be accomplished with an experienced and multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses and specialists working together to maximize positive outcomes for our youngest patients.”

According to the ACS, “the Level I facility is a regional resource trauma center that is a tertiary care facility central to the trauma care system. This facility must have the capability of providing leadership and total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention through rehabilitation.”

The Level I verification for Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU followed a rigorous two-day survey after which ACS noted zero deficiencies and numerous strengths, including a longstanding commitment to trauma; outstanding collaboration with the adult trauma program at VCU Medical Center; collaboration between the pediatric emergency department and the pediatric trauma program; and implementation of a traumatic brain injury program and the Injury and Violence Prevention Program.

VCU Medical Center has been the only Level I trauma center in the region for adults since 2006.

“The verification of our pediatric trauma program as Level I, in addition to the Level I status of the adult program at VCU Medical Center, affirms the VCU Medical Center as a health care leader as we continue to raise the bar for adult and pediatric care in the region as well as the commonwealth,” said John Duval, CEO of MCV Physicians.