Tampa General Hospital announced reverifications of the TGH Wallace Trauma Center as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) for both pediatric and adult care.
The ACS recognizes Tampa General for its dedication to providing optimal care for adults and children, as well as its demonstrated commitment to education, research and community outreach. The Adult Trauma Center and the Pediatric Trauma Center are each reverified as stand-alone programs extending through 2026.
“Tampa General is home to the only Level I Trauma Center in West Central Florida,” said Dr. Thomas Joseph Herron, a critical care specialist and trauma surgeon at Tampa General and assistant professor in the Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “Achieving reverifications for adult and pediatric care is a collaborative effort and, each day, our incredible trauma team members go above and beyond to care for critically injured patients and their families with the highest level of skill, compassion and commitment.” Herron served as the director of Regional Trauma at Tampa General during the reverification process.
Tampa General’s Level I trauma centers for adults and children are the first in Florida to achieve verification from the ACS for the quality of their trauma care. ACS and its review team of nationally recognized experts in trauma care performed an in-depth, on-site assessment of every aspect of Tampa General’s trauma program.
Level 1 Adult Trauma Care
The Tampa General Adult Trauma Care program, which treated 2,471 adult patients in 2022, is equipped to care for the most critically injured adults with dedicated resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Onsite team members and resources include trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons and other surgical specialists, medical specialists, nurses, care teams, equipment, and facilities.
“From dedicated trauma rooms in the emergency department to aeromedical transport, Tampa General is fully equipped to treat the most critical and urgent adult cases in the region,” said Michele R. Moran, senior director of Emergency Services at Tampa General. “Adult patients needing to be admitted to the hospital can be moved to Tampa General’s Trauma ICU, where specialized nurses, physicians and caregivers can help patients continue to reach their best possible recovery.”
Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Care
The Tampa General Pediatric Trauma program, along with the TGH Children’s Hospital, treats pediatric patients throughout West Central Florida who have severe or life-threatening injuries. Pediatric trauma specialists, surgeons, neurosurgeons, and an entire multidisciplinary team of caregivers specialize in the treatment of critically ill or injured children. A specialized pediatric trauma treatment room features child-sized equipment and the pediatric emergency room is decorated with colorful murals of the Tampa Bay region to help put even the littlest patients and their families at ease. In 2022, 523 pediatric trauma patients were treated.
Additionally, members of the pediatric trauma team hold leadership positions in the regional trauma system and work closely with referring hospitals to transfer children seamlessly to a higher level of care at Tampa General.
“Our pediatric trauma team provides the highest level of compassionate care for children in crisis. We are grateful for their ongoing commitment to our pediatric patients and their families,” said Dr. Keith Thatch, medical director of Pediatric Trauma at Tampa General.
For a child’s recovery, TGH Children’s Hospital has a dedicated Pediatric ICU and supports pediatric patients’ well-being by providing child life specialists, schoolteachers for patients with extended hospital stays, psychologists, case managers, social workers and pediatric occupational and physical therapists.
Aeromed, Tampa General’s six-helicopter aeromedical transport program, transports critically ill or injured patients from 23 surrounding counties and is equipped with the most advanced life-support equipment.
“On behalf of Tampa General, I would like to recognize the incredible contributions and tireless dedication of our adult and pediatric trauma teams, along with the leadership of Dr. Herron and Dr. Thatch, who were both instrumental in the work to attain these important reverifications,” said Dr. Jose Diaz, the new director of the Regional Trauma program and director of the Trauma Surgery ICU at Tampa General.
The world-class care provided to its trauma patients has earned Tampa General recognition on the World’s Best Hospitals 2022 and 2023 list by Newsweek. Tampa General also holds reverification as a Level I Trauma Center from the Florida Department of Health as of 2019.
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care.
