Cleveland-based MetroHealth System will not seek reverification for its level 2 pediatric trauma center designation at its main campus.
“When pediatric trauma cases are declining and pediatric neurosurgeons are in critically short supply, concentrating that care at the region’s high-volume children’s center strengthens it,” MetroHealth President and CEO Christine Alexander‑Rager, MD, said in a June 10 system news release. “Spreading it thin would dilute it. We make trauma decisions based on community need and patient outcomes — that’s the standard that tells us when to step back and when to invest and grow.”
Maintaining a second pediatric trauma program in Northeast Ohio is not something the community needs, according to the release.
Here is what to know.
1. MetroHealth’s verification ends in January, and a hospital spokesperson told Becker’s that “in practice, almost nothing will change when it comes to how we provide emergency care for our youngest patients.” The system will continue to treat pediatric emergencies in its ED and care for children in its pediatric clinics.
2. MetroHealth will remain a comprehensive burn care center for both children and adults.
3. The system will remain a level 1 adult trauma center and can admit pediatric patients with serious injuries. As needed, it will stabilize and transfer petriatrics patients to UH Rainbow & Babies Children’s, the city’s only level 1 pediatric trauma center.
4. MetroHealth has seen a decline in pediatric trauma cases due to the region’s aging population and shifting community demographics, according to the release.
5. On Jan. 15, Cleveland Clinic announced it was seeking level 1 designation for its adult trauma center, citing rising demand for trauma services and the need to reduce transfers of critically injured patients to other hospitals. MetroHealth and Cleveland-based University Hospitals currently operate the city’s two level 1 trauma centers, located roughly seven miles apart. If approved, Cleveland Clinic’s main campus would become the third such center within Cleveland. In February, Dr. Alexander‑Rager called on Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, to reconsider the system’s plan to pursue level 1 designation, saying it could jeopardize patient safety, disrupt the region’s coordinated trauma system and drive up healthcare costs.
6. Level 1 trauma centers are required to provide around-the-clock access to surgeons and specialists and play a leadership role in trauma education and research. Ohio’s trauma verification process is overseen by the American College of Surgeons in coordination with the Ohio Department of Health.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.