To: University Hospitals Physicians and Employees
From: Daniel I. Simon, MD
President, UH Cleveland Medical Center
Joseph F. Sabik III, MD
Chairman, Department of Surgery, UH Cleveland Medical Center
Surgeon-in-Chief and Vice President, Surgical Operations, University Hospitals
Date: June 28, 2017
The Level I trauma center at UH Cleveland Medical Center has reached an important milestone by receiving verification from the American College of Surgeons.
Level I verification status indicates UH provides comprehensive care according to nationally recognized ACS standards for every aspect of injury care. Level I trauma centers also have a major responsibility for providing leadership in education, research and system planning to ensure resources are available for delivering the highest level of care.
The UH Level I trauma center opened in late 2015 and has been operating under provisional status, as is customary until the ACS conducted its extensive review in February. Final verification was awarded in May. From Jan. 1, 2016 through April 30, 2017, our Level 1 adult trauma service evaluated 3,300 trauma patients and admitted almost 2,500 of them to the hospital.
In addition to our Level I center, UH’s coordinated regional trauma system includes Level III trauma centers at UH Geauga, Portage and St. John medical centers, plus Southwest General Health Center. Additionally, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is the region’s only Level I center for children and adolescents. The UH Rainbow center has been a continuously verified Level I pediatric trauma center by the ACS for 25 years. The UH regional trauma network provides consistent care with the same electronic medical record system, shared clinical processes and advanced staff training.
UH is a member of the Northern Ohio Trauma System, which includes other trauma-care providers and provides coordinated trauma care to patients throughout Cuyahoga County and a seven-county Northeast Ohio region. UH also works with local emergency medical service teams and provides equipment to use before arriving at hospitals because time is of the essence when dealing with trauma and other critical emergencies.
We thank and congratulate Nathaniel McQuay Jr., MD, Division Chief, Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Acute-Care Surgery, UH Cleveland Medical Center, and Glen Tinkoff, MD, Chief, Trauma Systems - UH, for their vision and leadership toward strengthening our trauma services.
Throughout the nation, coordinated regional trauma care has resulted in improved outcomes for trauma patients. Our UH commitment to trauma care represents a significant resource for our community, and we are honored to serve in this vital role.