The American College of Surgeons Verification Review and Consultation program has re-verified the Smith Level I Shock Trauma Center at Eskenazi Health at Level I, the highest level of trauma care available. This achievement recognizes the trauma center’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients and is the 12th consecutive successful verification and is effective through 2026.
The Smith Level I Shock Trauma Center is one of the busiest in the state, treating more than 2,500 patients each year. It became the first verified Level I trauma center in the state in 1992.
“At its core, a Level I trauma center must be capable of providing system leadership and comprehensive trauma care for all injuries,” said Erik Streib, M.D., chief of trauma services at Eskenazi Health. This means the trauma center must have adequate depth of resources and personnel required for patient care and education, as well as to serve important roles in local trauma system development, regional disaster planning, increasing capacity and advancing trauma care through research. This success is recognition of the great work being done every day throughout the organization.”
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Committee on Trauma’s Verification/Consultation Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. This encompasses the pre-hospital phase through the rehabilitation process.
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 its current “Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient” manual. There are five separate categories of verification in the Committee on Trauma's program (Level I trauma center, Level II trauma center, Level III trauma center, Level I pediatric trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center). Each category has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification. Each hospital has an on-site review by a team of experienced site reviewers, who use the current “Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient” manual as a guideline in conducting the survey.
A Level I trauma center, such as the Smith Level I Shock Trauma Center, is a comprehensive regional resource that is central to the trauma system. Trauma centers verified at Level I are capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention to rehabilitation. Key elements of a Level I trauma center include 24-hour in-house coverage by Board Certified Trauma/Acute Care Surgeons with prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine and critical care.
Level I trauma centers are committed to injury prevention, public education and continuing education of the trauma team members as well as continued improvement through a comprehensive quality assessment program and an organized research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care.