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The WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital Trauma Center has been verified at Level III, a climb from Level IV last year, the hospital announced Wednesday.
That designation was given by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
"Our Level III Trauma designation is further evidence that the most advanced care in the region is happening at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital," said Douglass Harrison, president and CEO of WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital and Reynolds Memorial Hospital. "The ACS surveyors who reviewed us were extremely complimentary of our hospital and the providers. Ultimately, it's the highly trained providers who deliver the most advanced trauma care in the region and they do it each and every day without fail."
Elements of Level III trauma centers include:
· 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists.
· Incorporation of a comprehensive quality assessment program.
· Development of transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care at a Level I or Level II Trauma Center.
· Providing backup care for rural and community hospitals.
· Offering continued education of the nursing and allied health personnel or the trauma team.
That designation was an improvement from last year, when the ACS dropped Wheeling Hospital's trauma center from Level II to Level IV. In a letter to EMS partners last year, Harrison said most of the deficiencies noted in the ACS survey, which was conducted in 2019, were related to gaps in medical coverage. The hospital filled those gaps by recruiting new physicians.
Harrison also said in that letter. among the other moves to improve the hospital's trauma center level, Wheeling Hospital would create a trauma service to be staffed daily from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., in-house by board-certified surgeons. After hours (7 p.m.- 7 a.m.) will be staffed through an on-call program with response times to any trauma within 15 minutes.
Work to achieve the verification was a team effort led by the program's medical director, Dr. Howard Shackelford and program manager Stephanie Isaly. Both report directly to Dr. Alison Wilson who oversees the Level I Trauma and Critical Care Program at WVU Medicine's Ruby Memorial Hospital.
"Congratulations to all the hard work of this program's leadership, particularly Dr. Shackelford and Stephanie Isaly," Wilson said. "I also applaud the entire team of registrars, nurses, physicians and all members of the multi-disciplinary trauma team throughout all phases of the hospital."
She said the Level III verification shows that Wheeling Hospital is capable of providing 24/7 immediate management of all significant and life-threatening injuries.
"The community can be assured that quality care for severe injuries is provided at Wheeling Wheeling Hospital," Wilson said.
"This was a team effort," Shackleford said. "Thanks to all involved."