Thursday, January 19, 2023

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio—University Hospitals (UH) Lake West Medical Center has been designated as a provisional Level 3 Trauma Center by the state of Ohio, based on consultation from reviewers of the American College of Surgery Verification, Review, and Consultation Program for excellence in trauma centers. The Program is designed to help hospitals evaluate and improve trauma care as well as provide objective, external review of institutional capability and performance. This is accomplished by an on-site review and assessment of the hospital’s commitment, readiness, resources, policies, patient care, performance improvement and other features.

“It’s crucial to deliver effective trauma care in the first hours after injury, and research shows 85 percent of all injuries can be safely cared for in a Level 3 Trauma Center,” said Robyn Strosaker, MD, FAAP, President and Chief Operating Officer of UH Lake Health Medical Centers. “I’m very proud of our UH Lake West caregivers for securing this important designation. The ability to provide this level of care at UH Lake West will improve outcomes for patients in both Lake and Ashtabula counties.”

In order to become a Level 3 Trauma Center, a facility must demonstrate an ability to provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care and stabilization of injured patients and emergency operations.

Level 3 Trauma Centers have specific elements, including:

• 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and 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 1 or Level 2 Trauma Center
• Continued education of nursing and allied health personnel or the trauma team
• Involvement with prevention efforts
• An active outreach program for its referring communities

“Our community is in great hands should traumatic emergencies arise,” added Dr. Strosaker. “If our patients need additional resources, we can provide life- and limb-saving resuscitative measures and stabilize patients for transfer to our Level 1 Trauma Center in downtown Cleveland.”

In addition to UH Lake West Medical Center, 24/7 emergency services in Lake County are also available at UH TriPoint Medical Center in Concord. The medical helicopter program of the health system, UH AirMed, also operates a day base out of UH TriPoint. Staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who specialize in treating medical emergencies, Lake West and TriPoint emergency departments are designated by The Joint Commission as Primary Stroke Centers, and the Lake West emergency department is also an accredited chest pain center by the American College of Cardiology Accreditation Services.

UH operates a regional network of state-designated trauma centers to meet the needs of injured patients in Northeast Ohio, and is a member of the Northern Ohio Trauma System (NOTS), along with Cleveland Clinic and The MetroHealth System. NOTS provides coordinated regional trauma care to patients throughout Cuyahoga County and the seven-county Northeast Ohio region.

UH’s regional trauma network includes six additional existing Level 3 Trauma Centers: UH Elyria, Geauga, St. John, Parma and Portage medical centers, as well as Southwest General Health Center. UH Cleveland Medical Center and UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital are designated Level 1 Regional Trauma Centers. They provide leadership in education, research and system planning to ensure high-level care is accessible for any patient with complex and/or life-threatening injuries.

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