Sanford Health

What is a Level II Trauma Center?

Trauma 5 Front 
Trauma 5. Beyond ER.


Only a select group of medial centers receive Level II Trauma Center verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Verified trauma centers must meet the essential ACS criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance.

Sanford USD Medical Center has been verified as a Level II Trauma Center by American College of Surgeons' (ACS) Committee on Trauma. This achievement recognizes Sanford USD Medical Center’s dedication to providing quality care for both adult and pediatric trauma patients.
 
A Level II trauma center must be dedicated to continually improving trauma care through quality improvement programs, trauma prevention, and continuing education. There are dedicated resources within Trauma 5 that provide:

  • immediate availability of specialized surgeons, physician specialists and support staff on a 24 hour basis.


  • air ambulance service transportation to and from rural communities through Intensive Air.


  • education and training programs that include Emergency Care Outreach Programs, EMT Workshops, Trauma Symposium, and Monthly Trauma Grand Rounds.


  • injury prevention programs such as Docu Drama’s, Farm Safety, Bicycle Helmet Programs, Children Car Safety, A.B.C. on the Farm and Safe Kids.
These are just a few of the services and programs that are offered to the region that Sanford USD Medical Center supports through Trauma 5.

Verification by the ACS is a voluntary process that must be requested by the individual hospital. It consists of being evaluated across the continuum of care to assure that the standard of care meets pre-established criteria as determined by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. 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.

Trauma 5 first received the ACS Level II verification in 1997. The Level II status was re-verified in 2001, 2004 and 2007 after a team of ACS reviewers conducted an exhaustive review of patient records, quality improvement efforts and interviews with physicians and staff.


What does it take to earn this distinction?
  • 24-hour-a-day commitment by the medical staff, including trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons and orthopedic specialists.

  • Hospital staff committed to trauma, including staff in emergency, surgery, respiratory therapy, laboratory, radiology, critical care, nursing, pastoral care and rehabilitation.


  • Availability of numerous clinical resources such as cardiothoracic surgery; internal medicine; neurosurgery; ophthalmic, maxillofacial and plastic surgery; pediatrics; radiological specialties and many others.


  • Rapid air transportation through the Intensive Air Program.


  • Available consultation to rural areas via a 24-hour referral line by utilizing Sanford NOW.


  • Leadership in trauma education.