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12/16/10 news article

Dayton Children's receives re-verification as a pediatric trauma center

verification from the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma

In 2010,  the trauma program at Dayton Children's received re-verification from the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma as a level II pediatric trauma center.

This national re-verification recognizes that Dayton Children’s is the place for children when they are injured and need immediate care. Dayton Children’s is committed to providing comprehensive care for injured patients. Our staff has been working diligently toward this re-verification from the American College of Surgeons to assure all resources needed are available to care for injured patients. Dayton Children’s trauma program initially was verified in 2002, and re-verified in 2005 and 2008.

The purpose of a regional trauma system is to provide timely and appropriate care to seriously injured patients. Of the 66,570 visits registered in Dayton Children’s Soin Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center in 2009, 13,150 visits were injury related. Of those visits, about 549 were identified as significant traumas.

Children are not little adults and cannot be treated as though they are, says David Meagher, MD, Dayton Children’s medical director of trauma and pediatric surgeon. Children respond differently to injury, illness and treatment than adults. As a designated trauma center, children in Dayton Children’s 20-county service area have quick access to a multi-specialty team trained to recognize and treat these unique differences in pediatric trauma patients.

“A hospital that specializes in pediatrics—a hospital that cares for children’s unique medical, physical, emotional and social needs as well as the families’ needs—is the best place for an injured child,” says Lisa Schwing, trauma nurse coordinator at Dayton Children’s.

“The staff at Dayton Children’s are dedicated to helping keep children throughout our community safe,” Schwing says. “We continually work to prevent injuries, to improve emergency care and provide the very best care possible.”

Dayton Children’s takes a team approach to pediatric trauma. A specially trained pediatric trauma team responds immediately when alerted about an incoming trauma. The team includes a pediatric trauma surgeon, pediatric neurosurgeon, pediatric critical care doctor, pediatric emergency physician, pediatric orthopedist, pediatric anesthesiologist, pediatric respiratory therapist and may include a host of other doctors, nurses and staff trained to work exclusively with children.

“Access to comprehensive pediatric expertise is critical to the outcome of these patients,” says Thomas Krzmarzick, MD, medical director of the emergency department. “Every child is treated by a staff that has been specially trained in pediatric care.”

Dayton Children’s is the only facility in the region with a full-time commitment to meeting the health care needs of children.

According to the American College of Surgeons, the trauma center re-verification recognizes Dayton Children’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients. The program was established by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma in 1987. It is designed to promote the development of trauma centers. Verified trauma centers must meet the criteria established by the committee on trauma to ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance.

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 and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The college has 59,000 members, is the largest association of surgeons in the world and is an important advocate for all surgical patients.

For more information, contact: 
Marketing Department 
Phone: 937-641-3666 
marketing@childrensdayton.org