Sanford Fargo re-verified as Level I Adult Trauma Center
Oct. 12, 2023
Contact:
Nathan Aamodt
Sanford Health Media Relations
(701) 200-6080/nathan.aamodt@sanfordhealth.org
FARGO, N.D. – Sanford Medical Center Fargo was recently re-verified as a Level I Adult Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. Sanford Fargo is the only Level I Adult Trauma Center in North Dakota.
Sanford Fargo first achieved Level I Adult Trauma Center status in 2018. Being designated a Level I Trauma Center means Sanford Medical Center Fargo is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury – from prevention through rehabilitation. A Level I trauma center provides the highest level of surgical care to trauma patients. It has a full range of specialists and equipment available 24 hours a day and must admit at least 1,200 trauma patients a year.
“We take a lot of pride in being the only Level I Trauma Center in North Dakota,” said Tiffany Lawrence, president and CEO of Sanford Fargo. “You never know when an emergency will affect you or a loved one, but when an emergency does occur, the investments we’ve made to provide these crucial emergency services close to home has been a game-changer for our community. We are grateful for our entire staff that take care of our patients and families. They are the backbone in helping us provide world-class health care to the communities we serve.”
Sanford Medical Center Fargo actively supports the state trauma systems in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. Earlier this month, Sanford USD Medical Center became the only Level I Adult Trauma Center in South Dakota.
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the Committee on Trauma’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.
A Level I trauma center is required to have a certain number of surgeons and operating room availability to accommodate small surges in surgical activity without compromising patient care 24/7.
Qualifications met to achieve this verification include:
• Provide 24-hour medical and surgical coverage by general surgeons (including back-up coverage) and prompt availability to specialties such as emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, hand surgery, anesthesiology, radiology, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial, pediatric, obstetrics, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, interventional radiology, ophthalmology, urology, critical care and many other services along a full spectrum of surgical and medical specialists.
• Serve specific volumes of severely injured patients
• Help direct new innovations in trauma care through a successful trauma research program
• Provide orthopedic care overseen by an individual who has completed a fellowship in orthopedic traumatology
• Maintain a surgically directed ICU service
• Train surgical residents
• Serve as a referral source to regional communities
• Provide leadership in prevention through public education
• Provide continuing education for trauma team members
• Incorporate a comprehensive quality improvement program
Such centers are also required to have a rigorous performance-improvement program, keep an extensive database and submit data to the National Trauma Data Bank.
For more information, visit sanfordhealth.org.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves more than one million patients and 220,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The integrated health system has 47 medical centers, 2,800 Sanford physicians and advanced practice providers, 170 clinical investigators and research scientists, more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations and world clinics in 8 countries around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
