The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma has recertified the Vanderbilt Trauma Center with its Level 1 ranking.
The country’s leading surgical care organization first bestowed its highest stamp of approval on the Trauma Center in 2014, and renewed this designation following a recent site visit.
While VUMC has operated for more than a quarter-century as the region’s only provider of Level 1 trauma care, verification from the ACS goes beyond state-level requirements and affirms that Vanderbilt’s Trauma Center is among the best in the country.
“Maintaining the status of an American College of Surgeons-verified Level 1 Trauma Center demonstrates the epitome of excellence in the management of critically injured patients,” said Richard Miller, MD, chief of the Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care and professor of Surgery. “It places Vanderbilt University Medical Center in a league of its own in outstanding research, education and, most importantly, clinical care of the injured citizens of Middle Tennessee and the surrounding states.”
Miller commended the work and dedication of the entire trauma team and the leadership of Oscar Guillamondegui, MD, professor of Surgery and trauma medical director, and Melissa Smith, RN, MSN, trauma program manager, through the application process and on-site examination.
The ACS verification process takes into account the entire spectrum of care offered to patients at trauma centers, including outreach and prevention, along with efforts to improve performance and conduct outcomes-based research.
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. The program provides confirmation that a trauma center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality of trauma care for all injured patients.
“This latest site visit and subsequent recertification confirms that we’re functioning at the highest level as a trauma center,” Guillamondegui said.
“The site reviewers noted that our program is one of the best functioning Level 1 centers in the country, which speaks to the quality of care and expertise we offer to the people of Middle Tennessee.”
