West Virginia Downgrades Ohio Valley Medical Center’s Trauma Designation
Officials maintain emergency room capabilities remain unchanged
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WHEELING -- State authorities have downgraded Ohio Valley Medical Center's trauma designation from Level II to Level IV, but OVMC contends its emergency department's capabilities remain unchanged.
From 2003 until this week, OVMC and Wheeling Hospital operated a joint community trauma program at Level II, the second-highest designation in West Virginia. Wheeling Hospital's emergency-trauma center continues to hold Level II designation, making it the only such operation in the Northern Panhandle.
Attorney Michael Garrison, who represents OVMC in legal matters, said Friday, "Currently, my understanding is (OVMC) is at Level IV. However, the state has created a little bit of confusion as to how they are handling this."
Level IV is the lowest of West Virginia's four trauma designations. Levels are assigned to specify the type of trauma care that a facility can provide.
Daniel Dunmyer, OVMC's new CEO, and Garrison said Wheeling Hospital applied for a Level II designation on its own. They said OVMC now will seek a stand-alone Level II designation, as well.
Wheeling Hospital officials declined to comment on the matter Friday.
Garrison said, "The state has also said in the past, at (OVMC), we're not permitted to apply -- what Wheeling (Hospital) has done -- for individual Level II status. (But) that is what we are going to do."
Dunmyer said state officials "asked us to modify or correct a couple of things" in OVMC's emergency medical unit, known as EMSTAR, after the American College of Surgeons conducted a renewal survey.
He said, "The state is stipulating we may not be meeting Level II, according to their determination. We have the same services and capabilities than when we had Level II.
"We have already corrected everything," he said, adding, "The state does see things a little bit differently. We are pushing back."
Dunmyer said the American College of Surgeons is scheduled to begin another focus survey at OVMC on Feb. 6. He said, "I'm sure it will take two or three weeks for them to give their report."
According to Dunmyer, the main concern in the previous survey concerned EMSTAR having interventional radiology services. He said, "We have the ability and capability to do that (interventional radiology). We didn't identify it correctly."
He said hospital officials reviewed some of its cases involving interventional radiology and concluded procedures were handled appropriately.
Dunmyer, who has been on the job three weeks, said OVMC wants patients to have a choice of medical facilities.
The joint community trauma program was in existence for 15 years, with OVMC and Wheeling Hospital handling Level II trauma cases on alternate days.
However, Dunmyer said, "Wheeling Hospital approached the state for Level II on their own, rather than a joint program." As a result, he said, "We are in the process of applying for our own Level II center."
Dr. Michael Mills, state medical director, referred questions on the trauma designation to a public information officer for the Bureau of Public Health's Office of Emergency Medical Services who did not respond to a request for comment. Dr. David Kappel, deputy state medical director of trauma, also could not be reached for comment.
In the meantime, Dunmyer said, "We are functioning today as a Level II with the capacity of that level of trauma care. We are working with the state to stay at that level. We are taking every step we can to assure that our hospital and our community has that choice to come here."
Wheeling Fire Chief Larry Helms said the department has not changed its pattern for transporting trauma patients to the two hospitals.
Helms said, "We haven't made any changes in our protocols as of yet. We won't make any changes until officially notified by the state."
Three other area facilities -- Weirton Medical Center, Sistersville General Hospital and Wetzel County Hospital -- have Level IV trauma centers, according to state documents. Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg has a Level III trauma center.
Other than Wheeling Hospital, the only Level II trauma centers in the state are located at two hospitals in Huntington. West Virginia University Hospitals and Charleston Area Medical Center hold the state's top designation of Level I.