What is Trauma?
Trauma is a surgical disease demanding surgical leadership.
Who is a trauma patient?
The Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 4765.01 defines a trauma patients as someone with a significant risk of loss of life, limb, significant permanent disfigurement or disability caused by blunt or penetrating injury.
What is a trauma system?
A trauma system is a geographically organized system of care for the injured that is fully integrated into the emergency medical service (EMS) system and strives to meet the needs of all injured patients requiring an acute care facility, regardless of severity of injury, geographic location, or population density.
What is a Trauma Center?
A Trauma Center is a healthcare facility that has established an organized operational structure that facilitates and improves care of the injured patient.
What does the Ohio Trauma law do?
The Ohio Trauma law establishes rules to identify trauma patients and selects appropriate transport destinations. It establishes transfer rules between trauma centers and non-trauma hospitals. It makes Ohio an inclusive system wherein any trauma center verified by the American College of Surgeons is a legal trauma transport destination. The law went into effect on November 3, 2002.
Who decides which hospitals are Trauma Centers?
The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT) sets the standards for verification and site visits. Any hospital interested and willing to invest the time, effort, staffing and money is eligible.
What level is the trauma center at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital?
Level 1 Pediatric facility
What do the different levels of trauma centers mean?
A Level 3 facility provides care for most common traumatic injuries.  These centers utilize Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) standards of care, transferring patients who require a higher level of care.
A Level 2 facility is expected to provide initial definitive trauma care, regardless of injury severity. However, the Level 2 center may not be able to provide the same comprehensive care as a Level 1 center.
A Level 3 facility provides advanced trauma life support (ATLS) prior to transfering the patient in areas where no higher level of care is available.
A Level 4 facility must have a relationship with a Level 1, 2 or 3 trauma center. Patients are stablized and transfered to a higher level facility for trauma care.