OAKLAND, Calif., May 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alameda Health System (AHS) announced that its Highland Hospital campus has been verified as a Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Less than 10 percent of hospitals in the state of California have earned this important classification, based on totals provided by the American Hospital Directory.
The Level II Trauma Center verification recognizes Highland Hospital's dedication and ability to provide the optimal level of care to patients with severe and often life-threatening injuries. The hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review by the ACS Verification Review Committee to ensure the hospital and medical staff meet essential criteria relating to trauma care capability and institutional performance.
"Highland Hospital's Trauma Center earned this designation following the most rigorous verification process in the country. This is a major milestone for the hospital and for Alameda Health System," said Dr. Gregory Victorino, chief of the trauma division at AHS. "We have a long history of providing exceptional trauma care to residents and visitors to our region. The verification by ACS validates our hard work and the efforts of every staff member serving the critically injured in need every day."
The on-site review was conducted by a team of experts in the field of trauma, and included analysis of the full spectrum of care, including the pre-hospital phase through the rehabilitation process. The ACS verification process was established in 1987 as a method of promoting the development of trauma centers to provide the necessary hospital resources to address the trauma needs of all patients. The ACS advocates for surgical patients across the country, and is the largest association of surgeons in the world with more than 72,000 members.
About Alameda Health System (AHS)
Alameda Health System, a major public health care provider headquartered in Oakland, California, is recognized as a world-class patient and family centered system of care with more than 4,500 employees, 1,000 physicians and 480 volunteers. Their facilities include Highland Hospital, a major regional trauma center and teaching hospital; Alameda Hospital, an acute care facility providing emergency, in-patient and outpatient services in Alameda; San Leandro Hospital, which provides emergency and in-patient hospital care services; John George Psychiatric Hospital, an acute and emergency care facility in San Leandro; Fairmont Hospital, an acute rehabilitation hospital and skilled nursing facility, also in San Leandro; and four ambulatory wellness centers in Oakland as well as in Newark and Hayward.