St. James Healthcare Receives Re-Verification as a Level III Trauma Center

St. James Healthcare has been re-verified as a Level III Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes St. James’ dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual. The Level III verification means that the hospital has demonstrated an ability to provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care, and stabilization of injured patients and emergency operations. Including 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians, prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists.

The re-verification is in conjunction with a confirmation of St. James’ designation as a Montana Area Trauma Hospital by The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services’ State Trauma Care Committee.

“This verification only reiterates the fact that St. James Healthcare is one of the state’s most advance trauma centers,” said Trauma Medical Director Frank Raiser, MD. “The ACS is recognizing the level of excellence of our trauma team and our dedication to the health and well-being of patients and our community.”

St. James Healthcare is the only Level III verified care site within a 60 miles radius of Butte, Montana. Roughly 200 major traumas are directed to the hospital annually, along with a significant number of motor vehicle accidents, treat-and-release injuries, and other illnesses.

There are five separate categories of verification in the COT’s program. Each category has specific criteria that must be met by a facility seeking that level of verification. Each hospital has an on-site review by a team of experienced site reviewers, who use the current Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual as a guideline in conducting the survey.