The American College of Surgeons honors Providence for their treatment of severely injured patients.

[view:node_ad=5]The Trauma Program at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center has received verification status from the American College of Surgeons, acknowledging it has met the highest standards for a community-based center in treating the most severely injured patients.
     

The trauma program at the Mission Hills medical center is the second of the 12 trauma hospitals in Los Angeles County to receive this validation and the only one serving the northern county to meet the qualifications for verification.
     

The findings of the College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma verify the medical center’s dedication to the Providence mission to reach out to the poor and the vulnerable, said Kerry Carmody, the hospital’s chief executive. “I am extremely proud of this accomplishment and that Providence Holy Cross continues to demonstrate our commitment to our community,” Carmody said. “Who is more vulnerable than trauma patients and their families?”
     

The Holy Cross trauma center saw 1,574 patients in 2007 from a sprawling area that covers the northern and eastern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.
     

A Verification Review Committee from the College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma visited Holy Cross in May, and monitored trauma center operations and verified the presence of the qualifications listed in Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient.  The publication is the college’s recognized guide for hospitals designated to treat patients with severe injuries from incidents ranging from traffic accidents to gunshots. This verification process is voluntary and serves as a designation of quality.
     

The Holy Cross trauma center, the second busiest in the county, has managed to keep its diversion rate to other emergency centers to a very low 2 percent, even though it is one of just two trauma programs covering the areas it serves.
     

The Holy Cross trauma team includes Dr. Chistojohn Samuels, trauma medical director; Dr. Michael Sarti, emergency department director; and Judy Sterling, program director; and is under Derek Berz, assistant administrator.