Children’s Wisconsin successfully completed reverification as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the Trauma team’s ongoing dedication to providing the best and safest care to all kids. Their hard work is what makes Children’s Wisconsin stand out as one of only two hospitals in Wisconsin with this accreditation. In all aspects of care, including pre-hospital, emergency care, inpatient care, operative management, and rehabilitation, as well as follow-up care through our specialty clinics, our pediatric trauma experts are available to care for any type of injury.
The ACS – Committee on Trauma is a scientific and educational organization committed to raising the standards in trauma care. It grants Level I verifications as its top distinction to trauma centers who demonstrate system leadership and comprehensive trauma care. Children’s Wisconsin first received ACS recognition in 2001 and continues to meet more than 300 certification standards to uphold its reputation as one of the top 10 verified sites in the country. ACS certification criteria include:
- 24-hour pediatric training specialists in pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, anesthesia, critical care, emergency medicine, and the full spectrum of surgical and medical specialists availability, every day of the year
- Specialized facilities dedicated to trauma cases, including emergency services and operating rooms
- High education standards, requiring Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurses who attend trauma activations to meet the same education requirements as those who work in the Emergency Department
- Anesthesia services, intensive care units, rehabilitation services, CT and other imaging facilities made available to trauma patients at all times
- Full-time trauma program manager, trauma registry, coordinator, outreach programs and an organized research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care
- Requirement to benchmark our clinical outcomes against peers nationally to ensure we provide the very best care
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work our staff puts into caring for our trauma patients,” said Kristin Braun, MS, RN, trauma program manager/clinical nurse specialist at Children’s Wisconsin. “I am proud to work with an incredibly talented team who have the skill and determination to treat any kid who comes to us, regardless of injury or illness. This is the kind of expertise we strive for.”
Children’s Wisconsin provides comprehensive emergency and trauma care 24/7 to kids with all kinds of illnesses and injuries. The ability to provide all levels of care for more than 60,000 visits to the Emergency Department and Trauma Center annually plays a substantial role in upholding the reputation of Children’s Wisconsin as an exceptional organization for pediatric health care.
In addition to providing expert care to children with injuries, Children’s Wisconsin has many programs dedicated toward promoting injury prevention. It offers a wide variety of educational and preventative outpatient services, covering issues such as bike safety, proper sleep, car seat safety, mental and behavioral health, bullying prevention, Period of Purple crying, and Project Ujima.
Since 1995, Children’s Wisconsin Community Services has supported Project Ujima, a unique violence intervention and prevention program. Project Ujima works with families and the community to stop the cycle of violent crimes through crisis intervention and case management, social and emotional support, youth development and mentoring, and mental health and medical services.
The ACS recognizes these efforts to foster a safer and healthier community for kids. In its 2023 verification report, the ACS describes the Children’s Wisconsin Recovery and Family Education program as, “A model of how injury prevention should be approached nationally.” Likewise, it praises the Children’s Wisconsin Child Abuse team for being, “Well organized and extremely involved with the trauma program at both an inpatient and outpatient level.” These acclaims acknowledge the commitment of Children’s Wisconsin commitment to its mission to have Wisconsin kids be the healthiest in the nation.
Children’s Wisconsin participates in the ACS Pediatric Trauma Quality Improvement Program, which allows outcomes to be benchmarked among other pediatric trauma centers in the United States to constantly ensure it is providing the highest quality of care.
The ACS Level I Pediatric Trauma Center reverification occurs every three years.
