Hospital loses trauma rating
The American College of Surgeons has removed the Level 1 trauma center at LSU’s hospital in Shreveport from its list of facilities with resources needed to provide “optimal care of the injured patient.”
Level 1 trauma centers provide the highest level of emergency care. Being on the American College of Surgeons’ verified trauma center list is like a seal of approval from the professional organization in Chicago.
The College of Surgeons’ decision came after a team of professionals surveyed the facility last fall and found continuing “deficiencies and weaknesses” in the trauma center’s operations, according to an Oct. 24 letter received by Joseph Miciotto, the chief executive officer for LSU Health Shreveport.
The problem areas were not spelled out in the College of Surgeons’ letter.
LSU spokeswoman Sally Croom said Tuesday that the College of Surgeons wants LSU to invest more resources into the trauma center, including getting a permanent trauma chief on board.
LSU Health Sciences Center Chancellor Bob Barish, Miciotto and other health care executives from the hospital sent a message out to faculty on Tuesday referring obliquely to the removal of the Shreveport trauma center from the listing.
“We wanted to reassure you that the situation will not affect our ability to provide care and expertise to severely injured patients,” the message said.
The message advised that recruitment of a new director of trauma had begun and financial resources had been identified to make the changes called for by the College of Surgeons.
“We are pleased to announce that through the strong support of donors and our foundation we have recently secured the additional resources to meet this challenge,” the message stated.
Dr. Benjamin Li, chairman of the Department of Surgery, is quoted in the message as saying that LSU Health Shreveport chose to voluntarily participate in the Level 1 trauma verification process “to ensure that we continue to provide the best trauma care possible.”
Dr. Chris Cribari, chairman of the College of Surgeons Trauma Committee, wrote that before a recertification could be issued the hospital will have to undergo a full on-site visit “to establish that all deficiencies and weaknesses have been addressed.”