Intermountain Press Release

Salt Lake City—Primary Children's receives Level 1 Trauma Center, Pediatric, verification
Primary Children's Medical Center has received Level 1 Trauma Center, Pediatric, verification from the American College of Surgeons. This is the highest level of recognition for outstanding trauma service, and PCMC is one of only 10 freestanding children's hospitals nationwide to meet the requirements. It is also the only hospital in its five-state service area to be verified as a Trauma 1 Center for children.

"Trauma remains the leading cause of death and disability in children. Achieving this verification highlights the hospital's commitment to prevention and advocacy, acute care, community integration and research," said Kris Hansen, trauma program manager. "The Trauma Service is dedicated to reducing the impact of childhood injury to the communities we serve."

"Primary Children's voluntarily underwent this verification process because of its responsibility to provide unique tertiary pediatric care for one of the largest geographical service areas of any children's hospital in the country," said Eric Scaife, MD, medical director of the Trauma Service.

The hospital's trauma service treats approximately 8,000 injured children each year. Approximately 350 of those are categorized Trauma 1, which are the most critically injured.

PCMC was designated Regional Pediatric Trauma Center by the State of Utah in 2002, and the hospital has been treating the most seriously injured children for many years. However, verification by the American College of Surgeons requires a hospital to meet 250 stringent requirements to show it can provide extraordinary resources for every possible trauma scenario, 24 hours a day. In addition, the ACS requires the Level 1 Trauma Center hospital to be actively engaged in research and community education. "The ACS has literally set the standard for outstanding trauma care," said Hansen.

To meet the ACS requirements, Primary Children's Medical Center had to show it could meet the need of every type of injured child with all needed sub-specialty resources and facilities. In addition, the hospital needed to be committed to take a lead in the community for research and education on trauma and injury prevention.

When awarding ACS verification, the organization looks at total medical care for the injured child, from the scene, to the trauma bay, through the operating room, pediatric intensive care unit, and rehabilitation. "Trauma care requires excellence throughout all medical services to assure the best outcomes," explained Hansen.

Primary Children's Medical center is the only hospital in its five-state service area to receive ACS Level 1 Trauma Center, Pediatric, verification. Two other Utah hospitals, LDS Hospital and University of Utah Hospital, have received ACS Level 1, Adult Trauma Center verification.

"The people of Utah are exceedingly lucky to have a children's hospital, Primary Children's Medical Center, that consistently strives to put the children of Utah first," said Rebecka Meyers, chief of the division of pediatric surgery. "Primary Children's has a motto, 'The child first and always,' and those of us who have worked to make this trauma accreditation possible are all proud to work for an institution that actually delivers on its promises. Level 1 trauma verification is the crowning achievement of a 15-year vision and commitment on the part of the hospital to make the best children's trauma care available to children anywhere on earth, available right here in Utah."

Medical Director of PCMC's trauma service is Dr. Eric Scaife, a pediatric surgeon at Primary Children's Medical Center and assistant professor of surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Associate Medical Director of the trauma service is Dr. Robert Bolte, a pediatric emergency physician at PCMC and professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Kris Hansen, R.N., is trauma program manager.

Primary Children's Medical Center is a 232-bed pediatric referral center serving Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Montana, staffed and equipped to handle the most complex illness and injuries. It is owned by Intermountain Health Care, a nonprofit health care system.