HCA Florida Blake Hospital receives trauma verification from American College of Surgeons
HCA Florida Blake Hospital also earned a Surgical Quality Partner recognition from ACS.
The trauma center at HCA Florida Blake Hospital has been verified as a Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT), the highest possible designation.
Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and the highest level of institutional performance, as outlined by the ACS COT in its current manual, Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient.
“This verification signifies HCA Florida Blake Hospital’s commitment to deliver the highest level of trauma care,” said Steve Young, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Florida Blake Hospital. “Our trusted team shows up for our community when minutes count to provide this advanced, life-saving care to residents in Manatee County and surrounding areas.”
There are two levels of ACS trauma center verification, each defined by specific standards that speak to the important roles of the center in serving its community. These standards clarify the care that must be available to the injured patient at the facility, along with other expectations related to research and educational contributions to advance the field and to ensure the availability of highly qualified trauma providers in the future.
"ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, HCA Florida Blake Hospital has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous self-improvement," said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.
The ACS Trauma Verification, Review and Consultation (VRC) Program helps hospitals to evaluate and improve their trauma care. It provides an objective, external review of a trauma center’s resources and performance. A team of trauma experts completes a site review of the hospital. The team assesses relevant components of the program including their regional role(s), policies, patient care protocols and the hospital’s quality improvement processes. Of note, patients cared for in ACS-verified trauma centers have a lower risk of death and improved quality of life compared with patients in non-verified centers.
Importantly, the ACS does not designate trauma centers. Instead, it verifies compliance with the standards listed in the manual, Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient. A facility earns the title of “designated trauma center” when it meets the requirements of government or other authorizing entities.
As an ACS-verified trauma center, Blake Hospital also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies a hospital’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know Blake Hospital is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS.
“Earning the new ACS Surgical Quality Partner designation is a testament to the exceptional standard of care delivered at HCA Florida Blake Hospital,” said Dr. Ralph Barker, medical director of HCA Florida Blake Hospital’s trauma program. “When patients come to our emergency room, they can trust we adhere to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.”
Blake Hospital will expand its emergency department and trauma services with two new freestanding emergency locations scheduled to open in 2024. HCA Florida Palmetto Emergency will be located at 902 10th Street East in Palmetto and HCA Florida South Bradenton Emergency will open at 6215 14th Street West in Bradenton. As extensions of the hospital’s emergency department, the new full-service facilities will be staffed and equipped around the clock to care for patients of all ages with laboratory, x-ray, CT scanning and ultrasound services on site.