Albany Medical Center Receives Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Verification from American College of Surgeons
Hospital is first in the region to receive verification, eighth in New York State
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has verified Albany Medical Center as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. The Level 1 verification is the highest a hospital can attain and comes after a rigorous review by the ACS Committee on Trauma to ensure the hospital is meeting all aspects of trauma care, prevention, rehabilitation, and more.
“The comprehensive and expert care provided to pediatric trauma patients at Albany Medical Center is second to none,” said Dennis P. McKenna, MD, president and CEO of the Albany Med Health System. “As the region’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, we are demonstrating our commitment to elevate the level of critical and emergency care provided to our youngest patients.”
The Massry Family Children’s Emergency Center, which opened in 2018 as the region’s only designated pediatric emergency department, is the referral center for all seriously ill and injured children in a 25-county area of northeastern New York and western New England. Physicians in the Center are fellowship-trained and board-certified in the specialty of pediatric emergency medicine.
“Our trauma services provide a safety net for patients who sustain serious and life-threatening injuries,” said Mary Edwards, MD, division chief of Pediatric Surgery and medical director of the Pediatric Trauma Program. “In the pediatric emergency center, parents, caregivers, and families place their trust in us. Our physicians, nurses, and staff strive every day to continue to earn that trust when these serious injuries occur.”
Factors that qualify a hospital for a Level 1 verification from the ACS include 24-hour availability of care from surgeons, prevention and public education efforts in surrounding communities, continuing education of trauma program members, and the establishment of a comprehensive quality assessment program.
The verification makes Albany Medical Center the eighth Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in New York State. Albany Medical Center’s adult emergency department is also a verified Level 1 Trauma Center by the ACS and is the busiest in New York State.
Pediatric patients seen in the emergency department have easy access to the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital, the region’s only one. Located at Albany Medical Center, the 125-bed facility is devoted exclusively to the medical needs of infants, children, and adolescents. The children’s hospital is staffed by over 140 physicians trained in 40 subspecialties.