Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Receive Level I Trauma Center Re-Verification

Grand Rapids, Mich, April 9, 2018 – The trauma centers at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids have both been re-verified as Level I trauma centers by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Level I trauma centers provide the highest level of surgical care to trauma patients, and Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital are the only Level I trauma centers in Grand Rapids. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is also one of only three Level I pediatric trauma centers in the state of Michigan.

“We are committed to providing high-quality, advanced care to the most seriously ill and injured patients,” said Tina Freese Decker, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Spectrum Health. “It takes a highly skilled trauma team as well as an entire system of care to address a range of medical needs. As the only Level I trauma centers in Grand Rapids, I am proud of our physicians and other team members who support these patients throughout their treatment and recovery, from the emergency room through rehabilitation.”

Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Committee on Trauma’s (COT) Consultation/Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide the hospital resources necessary for trauma care as well as the entire continuum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. These capabilities encompass the prehospital phase through the rehabilitation process.

Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance. 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. Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital will be re-applying to renew Level I trauma designation with the State of Michigan as an additional endorsement based on achieving ACS verification.

There are five separate categories of verification in the COT’s program, with Level I being the highest verification. Each category has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification. The verification process includes an on-site team of trauma surgeon site reviewers, who use the current COT 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.

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