Cartersville, GA; June 19, 2018 – Cartersville Medical Center has been designated a Level III Trauma Center by the State of Georgia Department of Public Health Office of EMS and Trauma. The designation completes a nearly two-year process of preparation by the hospital and an extensive on-site survey by the state. One of the most important benefits to patients transported to the Cartersville Medical Center Trauma Center is quicker access to critical care for serious injuries and expedited transfers when necessary.
Cartersville Medical Center CEO Chris Mosley said the designation is a milestone achievement for the hospital and staff. “The designation as a Level III Trauma Center is the result of many hours of hard work and coordination among multiple members of our hospital team” said Mosley. “It is a testament to our facility’s commitment to further enhance the quality and skill of the emergency services we provide to the people of Bartow and surrounding counties.”
Georgia follows the American College of Surgeons trauma center guidelines, a nationally recognized standard. Trauma center designation criteria set strict requirements for hospital staffing, physician subspecialty availability, response times, education and training and increased focus on quality improvement; all supported by outreach and community education.
“Being a state-recognized Level III Trauma Center shows Cartersville Medical Center’s commitment to providing a higher level of care to the most critically sick and injured patients in our community and the populations we serve,” said John Pope, RN, Trauma Program Manager at Cartersville Medical Center. “Trauma designation is also a public pledge for continued growth as a whole program in process and service improvement for efficient care from injury to recovery.”
To secure the three-year designation, a trauma leadership team led by Pope and John Simmons, MD, Harbin Clinic board certified general surgeon and Trauma Medical Director for Cartersville Medical Center, spent months designing and refining systems and procedures to ensure an excellent trauma program. The hard work was verified last month when the survey was conducted and, along with finding no deficiencies, the Cartersville program was praised by surveyors on several occasions.
“We are thankful to Dr. Simmons for his oversight of our trauma program and passionate pursuit of enhanced trauma services for our community,” said Mosley.