American College of Surgeons confirms medical center’s elite status; reverifies ECMC as a Level I trauma center
BUFFALO, NEW YORK – Following a recent survey, ECMC has been reverified as a Level 1Trauma Center by the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). By receiving the ACS’s reverification, ECMC is deemed a Surgical Quality Partner of the ACS, which means ECMC is “…dedicated to surgical quality and is committed to maintaining the highest standards in surgical care.”
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.
ECMC Corporation CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., Ph.D. said, “This reverification by the American College of Surgeons is another affirmation from a highly regarded national organization of ECMC’s best-in-class, high-quality healthcare services. As demonstrated by the recent tour bus crash on the New York State Thruway and every day in our Emergency Department, ECMC’s Trauma program is vital to this community, and we are blessed to have such dedicated, skilled professionals who save lives every day. A special thanks to ECMC Associate Medical Director William J. Flynn, Jr., MD, FACS and his entire team who have built one of the best Trama programs in the Country.”
Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Revised 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. Each category has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification (see attachment to this press release). Each hospital is reviewed 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 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 on the American College of Surgeons and the organization’s Committee on Trauma, please visit:
https://www.facs.org/about-acs
https://www.facs.org/about-acs/governance/acs-committees/committee-on-trauma
CONTACTS:
Peter K. Cutler at 716-898-6505 or pcutler@ecmc.edu
VP, Communications and External Affairs
###
About the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corporation: The ECMC Corporation was established as a New York State Public Benefit Corporation and since 2004 has included an advanced academic medical center with 573 inpatient beds, on- and off-campus health centers, more than 30 outpatient specialty care services and Terrace View, a 390-bed long-term care facility. ECMC is Western New York’s only Level 1 Adult Trauma Center, as well as a regional center for burn care, behavioral health services, transplantation, medical oncology and head & neck cancer care, rehabilitation, and a major teaching facility for the University at Buffalo. Most ECMC physicians, dentists and pharmacists are dedicated faculty members of the university and/or members of a private practice plan. More Western New York residents are choosing ECMC for exceptional patient care and patient experiences. For additional information about ECMC, visit: www.ecmc.edu.