WVU Medicine Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center receives verification extension
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Medicine Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center has been verified as a Level I Trauma Center and a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee, an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the Trauma Center’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.
“We are very proud to once again receive re-verification from the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma. It takes a dedicated team of individuals to care for trauma patients, and, in my opinion, our team is second to none,” Alison Wilson, M.D., director of the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center and the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, said. “While we hope that our services are never needed, the people of West Virginia and the surrounding region can rest assured that should the need arise, we are here to provide the best care possible.”
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the COT’s Consultation/Verification 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 spectrum 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.
The ACS Committee on Trauma’s verification program does not designate trauma centers. Rather, the program provides confirmation that a trauma center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients. The actual establishment and the designation of trauma centers is the function of local, regional, or state healthcare systems agencies, such as the local emergency medical services authority.
There are five separate categories of verification in the COT’s program, with Level I being the highest. 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.
The Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center was established in the 1980s with assistance from Sen. Robert C. Byrd and is named for his late grandson, who died in a traffic accident.
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice. The College has more than 80,000 members, and it is the largest association of surgeons in the world.