OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is now verified as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and a Level 1 Site for Children’s Surgery, according to the American College of Surgeons.
“This acknowledgment means that families can be assured that from the moment they walk through our doors, they will receive the highest-quality care, specifically designed to meet the needs of their child,” said Ken Azarow, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P., interim chair of surgery and surgeon-in-chief, OHSU and OHSU Doernbecher.
To achieve Level 1 verification, OHSU Doernbecher had to meet the rigorous capability and performance guidelines set forth by the ACS for multidisciplinary, high-quality trauma and surgery care tailored to the needs of children of every age, size and diagnosis. In addition to a pediatric emergency department staffed by trauma-verified physicians, nurses and ancillary staff, OHSU Doernbecher is home to the state’s sole children-only operating rooms. Here, physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists and their teams have specialized training in pediatric surgical care and conduct nearly 9,000 procedures annually.
“These ACS verifications underscore OHSU Doernbecher’s dedication to improve the trauma, surgical and general health care of all children across Oregon and Southwest Washington,” said OHSU President Joe Robertson, M.D., M.B.A. “To expand on this commitment and fulfill our responsibility as the region’s first children’s facility to obtain both verifications, we look forward to partnering with pediatric hospitals and health care providers across the region to help ensure that every child is able to receive the best care possible.”
About the American College of Surgeons
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.
Select requirements of ACS-verified Level 1 pediatric trauma and surgery centers include:
- Proven expertise, resources and capacity to deliver timely, safe and multidisciplinary trauma and surgical care, around the clock, for even the most complex and rarest of cases.
- Immediate availability of board-certified or board-eligible pediatric specialty anesthesiologists, pediatric surgeons, subspecialty children’s surgeons, neonatologists, pediatric intensivists, pediatric emergency physicians, trauma-credentialed nurses and social workers, and child life specialists.
- Employment of an integrated, concurrent performance improvement and patient safety program to ensure optimal care and continuous improvement in care.
- Education, training, leadership and research in the field of pediatric surgery and trauma, including residency and fellowship training for the next generation of pediatric health care specialists.