Jersey Shore University Medical Center Level II Regional Trauma Center Receives Verification from the American College of Surgeons

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The trauma center and pediatric trauma center at Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center have been verified as a Level II Trauma Center and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee, an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the trauma centers’ dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

“As the region’s only trauma center we provide expert treatment and medical specialty capabilities unavailable at any other hospital in Monmouth or Ocean Counties, to more than 1,600 trauma patients each year,” says Jersey Shore University Medical Center Chief Hospital Executive Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA. “Our community can rest assured the best care is provided at our medical center for adults and children during emergencies, increasing the chance of survival from serious injury.”

Verification occurs every three years and is achieved after an on-site review by a team of experienced site reviewers, who use the ACS’s current Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual as a guideline in conducting the survey.

Level II Trauma Centers provide care through a team of experts, available 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, who specialize in traumatic injury. Vital elements, not available at other hospitals, include: full time experienced trauma surgeons, 24-hour CT scans, operating rooms staffed around-the-clock, a dedicated Surgical Intensive Care unit and a Pediatric Intensive Care unit. The trauma admitting area is staffed by specialized nurses and technicians whose sole responsibility is to care for trauma patients. All of these elements ensure that trauma patients receive the necessary specialized care. As trauma care starts with prevention, Jersey Shore University Medical Center professionals work to identify injury trends, and develop educational programs to help keep the community safe and injury free.


Established by the ACS in 1987, the COT’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. This spectrum encompasses the prehospital phase through the rehabilitation process. Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the ACS’s Committee on Trauma in its current manual.

The ACS Committee on Trauma’s verification program does not designate trauma centers. Rather, the program provides confirmation that a trauma center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients. The actual establishment and the designation of trauma centers is the function of local, regional, or state health care systems agencies.

Hackensack Meridian Health’s Hackensack University Medical Center is also a Level II Trauma Center.

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