Wesley Healthcare
July 23, 2014

WICHITA – Wesley Medical Center has been re-verified for three years as a Level I Trauma Center and a Level ll Pediatric Trauma Center following a recent on-site evaluation by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Reviewers also recognized Wesley’s trauma research program, organ donation procurement program and trauma prevention outreach program for its positive outcomes.

“Wesley’s dedication to trauma care is an ongoing effort as we strive to be the best trauma center in the state of Kansas through our trauma injury prevention, education and research programs, as well as through the availability of multiple resources, specialized equipment, dedicated trauma staff and both adult and pediatric surgeons,” said Mike Valdez, Wesley trauma program manager.

Established by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in 1987, the Committee on Trauma (COT) Consultation/Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. This spectrum encompasses the pre-hospital phase through the rehabilitation process.

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.

There are five separate categories of verification in the COT’s program (Level l Trauma Center, Level ll Trauma Center, Level lll Trauma Center, Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and Level ll Pediatric Trauma Center). Each category has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification. Wesley has been continually verified by the COT program since 1988.

“Highly functioning trauma centers are a vital component of a community,” Valdez said. “The ACS has continually recognized Wesley’s program as one of those high-functioning trauma centers.”

Wesley’s trauma program was founded in 1981 by Paul Harrison, MD, who continues to serve as its medical director. Rather than rely on medical residents for trauma surgery coverage, Wesley has attending trauma surgeons in-house every day and night. Additional attendings are available on-call when multiple traumas occur.

Most hospitals rely on emergency room nurses for trauma nursing care. Wesley, however, is one of the few facilities in the nation where nurses trained in and dedicated to trauma are in-house around the clock. All are trauma nurse core course instructors. They teach internally four times annually and in other locales several times per year.

For more information about Wesley Medical Center’s trauma center, please visit www.wesleymc.com.

Wesley Medical Center is the region’s leading acute care hospital network providing a full range of diagnostic and treatment services for patients throughout Kansas and northern Oklahoma since 1912. As a leader in Overall Recommended Care, Wesley treats more than 24,000 patients annually and delivers more than 6,000 babies – more than any hospital in a 13-state region. Wesley provides the most extensive emergency network in Wichita, with Wesley ER, Wesley West ER and Galichia ER. Wesley owns and operates Galichia Heart Hospital, WESLEYCare Clinics and the Pediatric Center of Kansas. To learn more about Wesley Medical Center, please visit wesleymc.com

American College of Surgeons (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 it an important advocate for all surgical patients.