Medical Center becomes the first designated and ACS verified Level 1 trauma center in Riverside County

By Riverside County
Contributed

Riverside University Health System-Medical Center (RUHS-MC) was recently designated as a Level-1 Trauma Center by the County of Riverside Emergency Medical Services Agency (REMSA). The Level 1 designation is in addition to verification by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) earlier this year, making RUHS-MC the first of its kind to hold both distinctions in Riverside County.
Level 1 is the highest level of designation given to trauma centers and attests that the facility has all necessary resources immediately available to provide critically injured patients with the highest level of quality health care.
REMSA is responsible for ensuring that hospitals meet the trauma center requirements specified in the California Health and Safety Code. Patients who suffer a severe injury will be treated by a board-certified trauma surgeon leading a multidisciplinary team of highly trained health care personnel from the emergency room, operating room, intensive care, radiology and rehabilitation services.
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our health care team, surgeons of all specialties, and our leadership team,” said RUHS Surgeon in Chief Dr. Raul Coimbra. “Our entire team worked together to achieve one common goal – to provide the very best care to the residents of Riverside County.”
The designation also means that RUHS-MC participates in national quality initiatives and multi-institutional research efforts, which are benchmarked against more than 800 hospitals across North America. This not only helps the team monitor the success of the program but identifies opportunities to consistently improve patient care.
The most important factor dictating a trauma patient’s survival is the initial assessment of the injury, which takes place in the emergency department. As a Level-1 Trauma Center, RUHS-MC now serves as a regional referral center and supports all local hospitals by accepting patients who require the most advanced or specialized care and treatment. Having the capability to provide comprehensive care for every aspect of injury for severely injured patients means that anyone throughout the Riverside County area with immediate critical medical needs will receive the finest care.