STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Stanford’s trauma center has been verified as a level-2 pediatric trauma center by the American College of Surgeons.
The new status takes into account trauma treatment capabilities of the pediatric emergency department as well as the ability of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital to offer such services as pediatric surgery, pediatric intensive care unit stays and pediatric physical or occupational therapy to children recovering from traumatic injuries. The trauma center emergency department is physically located inside Stanford Hospital and serves both children and adults.
According to the ACS, institutions that achieve level-2 pediatric trauma center status possess "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 prehospital phase through the rehabilitation process."
The new status was granted after an extensive on-site review conducted by an independent review team. In the past, the emergency department at Stanford Hospital has been evaluated by ACS reviewers using only the criteria for an adult trauma center. (The Stanford ED has had level-1 status, the most advanced designation, on the adult side for several years.) This year marked the first time the emergency department's pediatric capabilities were evaluated separately. The emergency department did not meet the minimum volume of 200 pediatric trauma patients per year to qualify for the level-1 pediatric designation, but the Stanford/Packard team anticipates that they will pass this threshold in the near future.
The separate pediatric designation is good news for kids who are injured, explained nurse Karla Earnest, RN, the pediatric trauma co-ordinator. "Especially under age 14, kids are different anatomically from adults," she said. Having access to a pediatric trauma surgeon, for instance, ensures that small children will get the best possible repair for a traumatic injury. "You need that level of expertise," Earnest said.
In addition to Earnest, Stanford and Packard Children's faculty and staff who led the effort to achieve the new ranking included Karl Sylvester, MD, associate professor of pediatric surgery; David Spain, MD, chief of trauma and critical care surgery and professor of surgery; and Bernard Dannenberg, MD, director of the pediatric emergency department and clinical associate professor of surgery – emergency medicine.
About Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is annually ranked as one of the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, and is the only San Francisco Bay Area children’s hospital with programs ranked in the U.S. News Top Ten. The 311-bed hospital is devoted to the care of children and expectant mothers, and provides pediatric and obstetric medical and surgical services in association with the Stanford University School of Medicine. Packard Children's offers patients locally, regionally and nationally a full range of health-care programs and services, from preventive and routine care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illness and injury. For more information, visit www.lpch.org.
About Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of "America's Best Hospitals," Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. It is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. For more information, visit http://stanfordmedicine.org.
CONTACT:
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
Robert Dicks, 650-497-8364
[email protected]
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