Vidant Medical Center receives Level 1 trauma center verification | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

    GREENVILLE     The trauma center at Vidant Medical Center has been verified as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee, an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. This achievement recognizes the trauma center's dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

    "This national verification confirms our commitment to providing high-quality care to all injured patients who come through our doors," said Todd Hickey, senior vice president at Vidant Medical Center. "It is a testament to the ongoing efforts of our pre-hospital providers and health care providers in all our hospitals to work collaboratively on a great system for injured patients in our region."

    Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Committee on Trauma's consultation/verification program for hospitals promotes the development of 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 center must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Surgeon's Committee of Trauma in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual.

    The ACS Committee on Trauma's verification program does not designate trauma centers. Rather, the program provides confirmation that a trauma center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients. The actual establishment and the designation of trauma centers is the function of local, regional, or state health care system agencies, such as the local emergency medical services authority.

    There are five separate categories of verification in the program. Each category has a specific criterion that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification. Each hospital has an on-site review by a team of experienced site reviewers, who use the current Resource for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual as a guideline in conducting the survey.

    The American College of Surgeons 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.

    Contact: Beth Anne Atkins, Vidant Health Strategic Development, (252) 744-3891,

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com