Valley Children’s achieves trauma center verification

The Madera Tribune Valley Children’s Hospital has achieved verification as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), highlighting its quality of care for injured patients throughout Central California. It is the only pediatric trauma center in the region.

“This verification is important to our Trauma Center, as the ACS recognizes Valley Children’s — from our surgeons and nurses to our therapists and trauma coordinators — for providing exceptional pediatric trauma care as quickly as possible, from start to finish, for children involved in car crashes, falls, accidents, acts of violence and other trauma,” said Valley Children’s Healthcare President and CEO Todd Suntrapak.

Earlier this year, representatives with the ACS’s Verification Review Committee (VRC) visited Valley Children’s Hospital and assessed commitment, readiness, resources, policies, patient care and performance improvement. The VRC is nationally recognized for setting trauma standards, and verified trauma centers must meet essential criteria that ensure capability and institutional performance as outlined by the ACS.

“Injury is the leading cause of death and acquired disability for children, and providing expert trauma care across the continuum — from injury prevention to pediatric rehabilitation and family restoration — is at the core of our mission,” said Dr. Michael Allshouse, medical director of Valley Children’s pediatric trauma program and pediatric surgery. “The verification by the ACS is strong confirmation of Valley Children’s dedication and sense of community responsibility to provide top-notch pediatric trauma care to our most precious resource — our kids.”

Valley Children’s Hospital is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to treat a full range of pediatric injuries and to meet the unique medical needs of children.

This verification by the ACS comes two years after the Central California Emergency Medical Services (CCEMS) Agency designated Valley Children’s Hospital as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center, the only Pediatric Trauma Center between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. With that designation, critically injured children could be transported directly from the field to Valley Children’s Hospital, ensuring they receive expert pediatric care quickly.