LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) has been reverified as a Level I pediatric trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), affirming the highest level of care available for patients who experience traumatic injuries.
The Level 1 verification, which is the highest national trauma recognition, will last through December of 2024. This achievement honors ACH's dedication to providing best-in-class care for injured patients from the prehospital phase through the rehabilitation process and marks the third time the program has been reverified. ACH is the state's only Level 1 pediatric trauma center.
Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual. To qualify for reverification, Arkansas Children's Hospital voluntarily participated in ACS' rigorous process, which included an on-site review with external trauma care experts.
Verified hospitals must provide a full spectrum of care to address needs of injured patients, including access to:
- Trauma surgeons and emergency medicine specialists, including pediatric surgeons, available 24/7.
- Operating rooms that are equipped and ready at all times.
- Neurosurgical and neurological care for severely injured patients.
- Orthopedic care for severely injured patients.
- A pediatric intensive care unit capable of addressing the special needs of children requiring critical care.
- In-hospital anesthesiologists.
The ACS 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 over 72,000 members and it is the largest association of surgeons in the world. Longstanding achievements have placed the ACS in the forefront of American surgery and have made it an important advocate for all surgical patients.