“Trauma III status recognizes that UVMC provides the expertise, teamwork, and facilities necessary to treat a higher level of injuries than ever before,” hospital president Kevin Harlan said in a statement.
The designation is from the Ohio Department of Public Safety and comes after a survey conducted in mid-July, according to the Miami County hospital.
There are different levels to trauma centers, with a Level I being the most comprehensive.
A Level III center can assemble a trauma team in 30 minutes, among other qualifications, according to the American College of Surgeons. Trauma centers can also charge trauma fees to cover when they activate high levels of care.
Dr. Pradeesh George, hospital trauma medical director, stated in the months of preparation for the Level III designation, the hospital operated internally as a trauma center and worked to refine the process.
Upper Valley Medical Center is operated by Dayton-based Premier Health, which also operates Miami Valley Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center, Atrium Medical Center’s Level III Trauma Center and Miami Valley Hospital South’s Level III Trauma Center.
The trauma center distinguish also comes when competitor emergency departments have been opening in the area. Kettering Health opened a new Troy hospital in June 2019 and a freestanding emergency department in Piqua in August 2020.
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