Danbury Hospital Gets High Marks As

A Level II Trauma Center

DANBURY — Danbury Hospital has been re-verified as a Level II Trauma Center this month by the American College of Surgeons (ACOS), Committee on Trauma Verification/Consultation Program for Hospitals, and the State of Connecticut.

Led by the Department of Surgery in cooperation with the Emergency Department and numerous clinical support areas at the hospital, physicians, nurses, EMS personnel, and administrators were commended for their enthusiasm and effort under the direction of Trauma Director/Surgeon Karen Kovacs, MD, and Trauma Coordinator Kathy Lewis, RN.

This three-year designation distinguishes Danbury Hospital for its training, expert coordination of care, and 24-hour availability of specialized surgeons, emergency personnel, physician specialists, anesthesiologists, nurses, support staff, and equipment for resuscitation and life-support care to care for severely injured patients or those at risk for severe injury, and for the cooperative relationships with fire and law enforcement teams in the community.

Trauma, derived from the Greek work for “wound,” refers to any bodily injury that results from sudden and severe exposure to mechanical, thermal, electrical, or chemical energy, or from the absence of the essentials that sustain life, such as heat or oxygen. Any person sustaining such a wound or injury caused by accident, violent shock, or pressure is categorized as a trauma patient, as in the case of a motor vehicle accident, motorcycle or boating accident, fall, or penetrating injury from a gun or knife.

As a recognized center of excellence for victims of life-threatening accidents and injuries, Danbury Hospital was specifically commended for the commitment of surgeons and emergency medicine physicians (many are instructors in advanced trauma life support – ATYS); a fast, consistent trauma team response to “trauma alert” (within 5 minutes); the accuracy, completeness, and quality of documentation related to trauma care; its multi-disciplinary nursing program; its newly renovated inpatient rehabilitation unit; and 24-hour availability of MRI testing and the capability of accommodating patients requiring ventilary management.

With the Level II Trauma Center designation, ACOS and the State of Connecticut recognize Danbury Hospital as a regional resource with the capability of providing initial, definitive trauma care regardless of the severity of injury, as well as ongoing training and education for physicians, nurses, other health professionals, and the community at large. Danbury Hospital is a regional component in the transfer of patients from Level III and Level IV Trauma Centers, which provide stabilization and treatment in  remote or less-medically advanced facilities.

Level II Trauma Centers like Danbury Hospital provide leadership and total care of every aspect of injury from prevention through rehabilitation. In contrast, a Level I Trauma Center incorporated trauma research as a primary objective and the capacity to perform open heart procedures and care for burns.