Elkhart General Hospital receives reverification as Level III trauma center by American College of Surgeons
Elkhart General Hospital has been reverified as a Level III trauma center through 2023 by the Verification Review Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. The hospital cared for nearly 650 trauma patients last year during the pandemic.
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Consultation/Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants like Elkhart General 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. This spectrum encompasses the pre-hospital phase through rehabilitation.
“This is a tremendous achievement for our trauma team and everyone at Elkhart General,” said Luis Benavente, MD, FACS, Medical Director of Elkhart General’s Trauma Center. “It demonstrates our dedication and resolve to providing excellent, life-saving clinical care for our patients and the community.”
Verified trauma centers – there are 23 in the state of Indiana – must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care and capability and institutional performance. An on-site review of the hospital is conducted by a team of reviewers experienced in the field of trauma. Elkhart General’s site visit and review occurred in late April 2021.
Elkhart General and Memorial Hospital of South Bend, a Level II trauma center, are the only trauma centers in this part of Indiana, responding to the needs of injured patients 24 hours a day. The Elkhart General trauma team is comprised of physicians in the specialties of emergency medicine, general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, anesthesiology and radiology.
“I am very proud of the work and dedication of the trauma team to ensure that we achieved our Level III trauma reverification from the American College of Surgeons,” said Carl Risk, Elkhart General Hospital President. “This verification highlights our commitment to ensuring that we are providing the highest quality care to trauma patients in our region.”
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice 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.
