GW Hospital Reverified as Level I Trauma Center, Highest Possible

Tuesday, March 28, 2017
GW Hospital Reverified as Level I Trauma Center, Highest Possible

The hospital’s trauma team is led by Babak Sarani, MD, FACS, FCCM, Medical Director of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (front left), and Lois Collins, Director of Trauma Services (front right).

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The George Washington University Hospital (GW Hospital) Center for Trauma and Critical Care (CTACC) has once again achieved verification as a Level I Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee, an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement, which is the highest possible in adult trauma care, recognizes GW Hospital’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

“Providing high quality, critical and complex trauma care to individuals in the D.C. region is a fundamental part of who we are at GW Hospital,” says Kimberly Russo, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of GW Hospital. “We are constantly determined to achieve excellence and are proud to continue to be verified a Level I trauma center. This designation represents our ongoing commitment to meet the critical healthcare needs in our area.”

Established by the ACS in 1987, the COT's Consultation/Verification Program for hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. In order to achieve verification, GW Hospital had to undergo an on-site review by a team of experienced site reviewers.

“Trauma patients have a profoundly high level of complex needs. That is why it is vital that our entire spectrum of care is meeting the highest in industry standards,” says Babak Sarani, MD, Director of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at GW Hospital CTACC. “As a verified Level I trauma center, we are equipped to provide care to the most severely injured and critically ill patients from the time they are on the way to our emergency department through rehabilitation and discharge. We also serve as a crucial regional resource for disaster and emergency preparedness.”

Podcast: What is a Level 1 Trauma Center?

Babak Sarani, MD, FACS, FCCM, explains what the designation of a Level I Trauma Center means to patients in need of emergency care. He discusses the staffing, equipment and procedures that go into providing care for the most critically injured patients.

Listen to the podcast

In addition to this most recent trauma verification, GW Hospital is a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission, the highest level possible; a Level 4 Epilepsy Center by The National Association of Epilepsy Centers, the highest level possible; and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The ACS 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.

About the George Washington University Hospital

The George Washington University Hospital is a 385-bed tertiary care, academic medical center located in downtown Washington, D.C. Featuring a Level I Trauma Center and a Level III NICU, GW Hospital offers clinical expertise in a variety of areas including cardiac, cancer, neurosciences, women’s health, and advanced surgery including robotic and minimally invasive surgery. The mission of GW Hospital is to provide the highest quality healthcare, advanced medical technology and world-class service to its patients in an academic medical center dedicated to education and research. GW Hospital is jointly owned and operated by George Washington University and a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS).