Level 1 Trauma Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) and designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Level I Trauma Center.
What does it mean to be a Level I Trauma Center?
A Level I Trauma Center offers the highest level of trauma care available (other levels are II, III, and IV), ensuring that patients receive the best possible care regardless of the severity of their injury.
To achieve verification as a Level I Trauma Center, an organization must meet or exceed a lengthy list of strict criteria established by the ACS-COT. This status must be re-verified every three years. In 2010, BIDMC received full three-year reverification as a Level I Trauma Center, which will be valid until 2013.
Among many other requirements, a Level I Trauma Center must:
- Admit at least 1,200 trauma patients a year, at least 240 of whom have severe injuries as measured by objective criteria
- Have a senior (attending) surgeon dedicated to trauma patients available 24/7
- Have an attending surgeon in the Emergency Department within 15 minutes of a trauma patient's arrival
- Maintain a surgically directed critical care service
- Have a full spectrum of surgical specialists available
- Participate in the training of residents
- Demonstrate leadership in education and outreach activities
- Conduct trauma research
- Participate in injury prevention and control
- Continually evaluate and improve performance