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NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center has been verified as a Level I Adult and a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma (COT). These verifications recognize NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell’s dedication to providing high quality, multidisciplinary care to injured patients in our community and across the region.

“Meeting the rigorous standards of the ACS COT requires development of a structure that relies on teamwork and commitment encompassing every department in the hospital, as well as a robust process of data-driven quality improvement that strengthens the entire institution,” said Dr. Robert J. Winchell, director of the Trauma Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and professor of surgery and chief of Trauma, Burns, Acute and Critical Care at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. “Beyond the walls of the hospital, being an ACS COT verified trauma center requires active engagement with regional emergency medical services (EMS) and the local community, aiming to decrease the impact of injury as a public health problem.”

“Improving access to high quality pediatric trauma care is not only a major priority for our team, it’s an imperative for our community,” said Dr. Nitsana Spigland, chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and chief of Pediatric Trauma at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and professor of clinical surgery in the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. “These new verifications formalize the commitment we’ve always had to serving New York City and the surrounding region.”

Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the COT’s Consultation/Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. This spectrum encompasses the pre-hospital phase through the rehabilitation process.

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 ACS Committee on Trauma’s verification program provides confirmation that a trauma center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients. The establishment and designation of trauma centers is the function of local, regional or state health care systems agencies, such as the local EMS authority.

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.

NewYork-Presbyterian

NewYork-Presbyterian is one of the nation’s most comprehensive, integrated academic healthcare delivery systems, whose organizations are dedicated to providing the highest quality, most compassionate care and service to patients in the New York metropolitan area, nationally, and throughout the globe. In collaboration with two renowned medical schools, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian is consistently recognized as a leader in medical education, groundbreaking research and innovative, patient-centered clinical care.

NewYork-Presbyterian has four major divisions:

• NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is ranked #1 in the New York metropolitan area by U.S. News and World Report and repeatedly named to the Honor Roll of “America’s Best Hospitals.”
• NewYork-Presbyterian Regional Hospital Network comprises hospitals and other facilities in the New York metropolitan region.
• NewYork-Presbyterian Physician Services, which connects medical experts with patients in their communities.
• NewYork-Presbyterian Community and Population Health, encompassing ambulatory care network sites and community healthcare initiatives, including NewYork Quality Care, the Accountable Care Organization jointly established by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia.

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Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. The doctors and scientists of Weill Cornell Medicine—faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Physician Organization—are engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Located in the heart of the Upper East Side’s scientific corridor, Weill Cornell Medicine’s powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where an international campus offers a U.S. medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Weill Cornell Medicine faculty provide comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. Weill Cornell Medicine is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.