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 It’s midnight, and a patient arrives for emergency care after a serious car crash. Fortunately, the hospital’s trauma team is already alerted and prepared for the arrival.
With 10 specially trained trauma surgeons on staff, the team is always available to respond to the emergency room upon the patient’s arrival.
McLaren Macomb operates the county’s first verified Trauma Center, a designation awarded in 2010 by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
The ACS verification is an achievement that recognizes the hospital's dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.
To achieve verification, the hospital was evaluated by an ACS team of trauma surgeons from outside of Michigan. They determined that McLaren Macomb met the rigorous guidelines and requirements needed for verification.
ACS Verified Trauma Centers are required to:
- Maintain a well-coordinated trauma team and provide ongoing education and professional development for the staff
- Provide immediate access to diagnostic tests and equipment to allow physicians to make rapid decisions regarding appropriate care
- Conduct injury prevention workshops and offer prevention and safety information to the surrounding communities
- Maintain a trauma registry
- Continuously review procedures to improve efficiency and ensure that trauma patients receive the specialized care they need and deserve
“That’s the benefit of the trauma team approach,” says one of the team’s medical directors. “We are always trying to improve our process of care.”
As part of this ongoing improvement process, McLaren Macomb participates in the ACS Trauma Quality Improvement program and the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program, coordinated through the University of Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
About the ACS: The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association 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 more than 72,000 members and 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.
Click here to view a list of verified trauma programs on the American College of Surgeons' web site. |