Terre Haute (Ind.) Regional Hospital has been certified as a Level II trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, according to the Tribune Star.
The hospital team sought Level III trauma center verification before deciding to aim for Level II status.
In order to be verified as a Level II trauma center, a hospital must have a trauma surgeon who can respond within 15 minutes of patient arrival as well as a backup surgeon who can be there within 30 minutes. The hospital must also demonstrate quick responses for anesthesiology, radiology and other specialties.
Regional is now the only hospital within a 75-mile radius with trauma surgeons on-site around the clock, and it is one of six Level II trauma centers in the state.
"To become a trauma center is a huge achievement. It's a huge undertaking," Christine Toevs, MD, Regional's trauma medical director, told the Tribune Star. "Everything from training the nurses to working with EMS to bring us patients, to training the operating room staff to take care of these critically injured patients, to nursing care on the floor."
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