September 21, 2021
The trauma center at Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center, the #1 ranked hospital in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report’s 2021-2022 “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll, has been verified as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), 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.
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 prehospital 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.
There are five separate categories of verification in the COT’s program including General Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Orthopedics and Pediatrics. 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. 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.
Hackensack University Medical Center’s Trauma Center provides the highest level of trauma care to critically ill or injured patients and successfully treats an impressively high volume including the following for 2020:
- A total of 2,908 total trauma patients
- Orthopedic trauma surgeons treated 829 patients
- Trauma neurosurgeons treated 496 patients
- A total of 159 pediatric trauma cases
- 259 trauma transfers from neighboring hospitals
- With 16 patients arriving Medial Air Ambulance Service
“We are very proud of being recognized as a level 1 Trauma center by the ACS. It validates our commitment to the highest level of care of the injured patient,” said Sanjeev Kaul, MD, FACS, chief-Trauma Surgery & Surgical Critical Care, Hackensack University Medical Center. “The effusive praise by the reviewers distinguishes us as a top tier trauma center and celebrates the spirit of excellent collaborative care practiced by the trauma center. We hope to continue the journey of excellence in transforming trauma care in the region.”
“Level I is the highest designation,” said Lisa Iachetti, MBA, BSN, RN, vice president, Operations, Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center. “This achievement not only recognizes Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University’s trauma center’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients and increases a seriously injured patient’s chances of survival by an estimated 20 to 25 percent.”
“Our level I trauma center is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury from prevention through rehabilitation,” said Mark Sparta, FACHE, president and chief hospital executive, Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center and executive vice president of Population Health, Hackensack Meridian Health.“This verification is a testament to our trauma team and the result of our hospital’s commitment to providing patients with state-of-the-art, world-class medical excellence.”
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College has over 72,000 members and it is the largest association of surgeons in the world. Longstanding achievements have placed the ACS in the forefront of American surgery and have made it an important advocate for all surgical patients.
For more information or an interview, please contact Mary McGeever, manager of Public Relations, mary.mcgeever@hmhn.org or 551-795-1675.
