VCU news

By Joe Kuttenkuler

RICHMOND, Va. – The Office of Emergency Medical Services in the State Department of Health recently re-verified Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia Hospitals as a Level I Trauma Center. The verification is for three years – the maximum period allowed.

The only Level I Trauma Center in Central Virginia, and one of just five in the state, MCV Hospital’s Trauma Center provides comprehensive, specialized care for severely injured patients. As a Level I center, MCV Hospitals’ offers 24-hour, on-site surgical staff and dedicated operating room space. Additionally, the center provides treatment of severe burns through its Evans-Haynes Burn Center. The Trauma Center also serves as a referral site for the state and is the coordinating facility for the area during disasters.

"Trauma care – just like emergency, fire and police – must be organized and available at a moment’s notice," said Ginger Morse, R.N., trauma program director at VCU’s MCV Hospitals. "Trauma care is a public service and the designation process is one way of assuring the availability of resources and expertise that are required when someone is injured."

The trauma designation process is voluntary and intended to identify the varying levels of capability available at participating hospitals. Virginia assigns three designation levels.

• Level I Centers – In addition to 24-hour, on-site surgical staff and dedicated operating rooms, round-the-clock access to laboratory services and sub-specialties including, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, anesthesiology and radiology must also be available.

• Level II Centers – typically based in community hospitals – are not required to have designated resources on-site 24-hours a day. For example, surgeons must be promptly available at all times, but may not always be at the hospital. Unlike Level I, Level II Centers are not required to offer constant access to cardiac or pediatric surgeons.

• Level III Centers – generally found in rural communities – can provide quick assessment, stabilization and some surgical intervention for patients. A general surgeon is required to be promptly available, but no other surgical specialties are mandated.

Depending on the severity of the patient’s injuries, Level II and III centers may transfer their patients to a Level I facility.

"Trauma care requires a total institutional effort – it is not a single department’s job," said Rao Ivatury, M.D., director of the trauma center. "Rehabilitation, social services and psychologists as well as patient and family counselors are an integral part of the process. They all help put the injured person’s life back together."

"This verification is evidence of our commitment to the community to provide the best care possible," said Hermes Kontos, M.D., CEO of the VCU Health System and vice president of health sciences. "Our mission of teaching extends to the public and in addition to trauma care VCU has a number of efforts aimed at preventing youth violence, burns and minimizing injury from accidents. We are proud to be in the unique position to make a lasting impact in our community."

VCU’s MCV Hospitals was the first facility in Virginia to receive trauma designation, which the state began issuing in 1981. The trauma center admits about 200 patients each month.