Arkansas Children’s Hospital Reverified by the American College of Surgeons as State’s Only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (Feb. 1, 2022) – Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) has been reverified as a Level I pediatric trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), affirming the highest level of care available for patients who experience traumatic injuries.

The Level 1 verification, which is the highest national trauma recognition, will last through December of 2024. This achievement honors ACH’s dedication to providing best-in-class care for injured patients from the prehospital phase through the rehabilitation process and marks the third time the program has been reverified. ACH is the state’s only Level 1 pediatric trauma center.

“Continuing to achieve verified Level 1 trauma status demonstrates Arkansas Children’s Hospital offers the most excellent standard of care for injured patients,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “This verification also highlights the tremendous work of many teams who deliver unparalleled care, giving children every chance to recover and reach their full potential.”

Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual. To qualify for reverification, Arkansas Children’s Hospital voluntarily participated in ACS’ rigorous process, which included an on-site review with external trauma care experts.

Verified hospitals must provide a full spectrum of care to address needs of injured patients, including access to:

• Trauma surgeons and emergency medicine specialists, including pediatric surgeons, available 24/7.
• Operating rooms that are equipped and ready at all times.
• Neurosurgical and neurological care for severely injured patients.
• Orthopedic care for severely injured patients.
• A pediatric intensive care unit capable of addressing the special needs of children requiring critical care.
• In-hospital anesthesiologists.

The ACS is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College has over 72,000 members and it is the largest association of surgeons in the world. Longstanding achievements have placed the ACS in the forefront of American surgery and have made it an important advocate for all surgical patients.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's, Inc. is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' more than 700,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); the state’s only magnetoencephalography (MEG) system for neurosurgical planning and cutting-edge research; and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Additionally, ACH is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four pediatric subspecialties (2021—2022): Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Pulmonology and Urology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the Northwest Arkansas region, is a level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and Northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

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