The Pediatric Trauma Center at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in New Brunswick has been verified as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT).
A verified trauma center must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and the highest level of institutional performance, as outlined by the ACS COT in its current manual, “Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient.”
The New Jersey Department of Health has designated only three primary hospitals as Level 1 Trauma centers that can provide 24/7, comprehensive care for patients with severe, life-threatening injuries.
RWJUH is the first of these three to also be verified at the highest level by ACS COT in adult and pediatric trauma services.
“Achieving verification as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center is the result of a collective commitment to excellence among many highly specialized disciplines on our academic medical campus to deliver the highest level of trauma care to children in our state,” said BMSCH surgeon-in-chief Dr. Steven Stylianos, who is also professor and chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
There are three levels of ACS trauma center verification, each defined by specific standards. These standards clarify the care that must be available to the injured patient at the facility, along with expectations related to research and educational contributions to advance the field of trauma care and to ensure the availability of highly qualified trauma providers in the future.
BMSCH’s Pediatric Trauma Program features:
- State-of-the-art trauma resuscitation bays with a stand-alone Pediatric Emergency Department staffed by highly skilled physicians, nurses, social workers and physical therapists who specialize in advanced pediatric trauma and emergency care.
- Broad range of dedicated pediatric specialties available to pediatric trauma patients, including anesthesia, neurosurgery, orthopedics, radiology/interventional radiology, pediatric intensivists, rehabilitation medicine and Child Life.
- Multidisciplinary, specialized and sensitive approach to nonaccidental trauma.
- Award-winning Injury Prevention Program focused on keeping New Jersey’s children safe.
- The largest Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in the state, staffed by fellowship-trained pediatric intensivists.
- State-of-the-art Center for Advanced Pediatric Surgery with dedicated pediatric operating rooms and pediatric peri-operative nursing teams.
- BMSCH is part of the Children’s Health Network of RWJBarnabas Health and the hub of the state’s only academic pediatric medical campus alongside Rutgers Child Health Institute and the PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital.
