Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center Receives Re-Verification
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
New Brunswick, NJ – The Level 1 Trauma Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has been re-verified as a Level 1 trauma center for both pediatric and adult care by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons.
The verification, which has been achieved every three years since RWJUH was designated a Level 1 trauma center in 1991, is a requirement of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services for the continuation of the state designation.
RWJUH is one of only three Level 1 trauma centers in the state. To achieve verification, the hospital underwent an onsite review by a team of experienced trauma surgeons. Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Committee on Trauma’s (COT) Verification/Consultation 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 COT in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual.
The COT’s verification program does not designate trauma centers. Rather, the program provides a 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 agencies. In New Jersey, the Department of Health and Senior Services is responsible for designating trauma centers.
New Jersey requirements for a Level 1 trauma center include treating a minimum of 1,200 patients annually and providing resources and care ranging from trauma prevention to rehabilitation.
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. With 59,000 members, it is the largest association of surgeons in the world.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Selected as one of four hospitals nationwide to offer the world's first self-contained implantable artificial heart, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.rwjuh.edu) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care in medicine. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women's and children's care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for both heart and heart surgery and respiratory disorders, according to U.S.News & World Report's 2008 ranking of "America's Best Hospitals." The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years.
Attention members of the media: For more information on this release, please contact the Department of Public Relations (732) 937-8521.
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