Department of Public Affairs — 8900 Van Wyck Expressway Jamaica, New York 11418

For Immediate Release
Name: Xavia Malcolm
Telephone: 718-206-6746
Email: xmalcolm@jhmc.org

Jamaica Hospital Announces Verification as a Level 1 Trauma Center Invites Former Trauma Patient Bac

Aug 11,2016

WHO: Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
<br>WHAT: Verification Ceremony to Acknowledge Level 1 Trauma Status
<br>WHEN: Friday, August, 12, 2016, 11:00 a.m.
<br>WHERE: Jamaica Hospital Private Dining Room-Main Hospital
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<br>Even the most careful person can be a victim of a serious injury. When these injuries occur, it is important to know that there is a trauma center nearby to provide expert care during potentially life-threatening situations.
<br>Jamaica Hospital is proud to announce that it will continue to provide the highest level of trauma care to our community after recently receiving a deficiency free score on our trauma verification survey conducted by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This accredited group of experts in the field of trauma carefully reviewed Jamaica Hospital’s capabilities and verified that we meet the standards for Level 1 Trauma status, without any deficiencies.
<br>To recognize this major achievement, the hospital is holding a verification ceremony and has invited Officer Kenneth Healey to share his experiences and explain how Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Service saved his life. On October 2014, Officer Kenneth Healey was viciously attacked by a hatchet-wielding man while on duty on Jamaica Avenue. He was struck in the head and sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he received life-saving treatment from the Trauma Team. Kenneth Healey has since reported back to work as an Officer of the NYPD and has been awarded the department’s highest Medal of Honor.
<br>Officer Healey is just one example of the more than 1,700 patients Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Service treats every year, making our Trauma Center one of the busiest in the New York – Metropolitan area.
<br>A Level 1 Trauma Center is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury from prevention through rehabilitation. It provides in-house coverage by general surgeons and trauma nurses and prompt availability in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatric surgery and critical care services. In addition, a Level 1 Trauma Center provides leadership in trauma prevention, trauma research and teaching about trauma related care management. To qualify for this designation, a level 1 Trauma center must also meet a minimum requirement for annual volume of severely injured patients.
<br>As the hospital located closest to JFK (one of most highly trafficked airports in the world) and at the confluence of several major highways, Jamaica Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center is at a constant state of readiness for any and all major traumas, ranging from slips and falls in the home, to motor vehicle collisions to the potential mass casualty event. Covering South Queens ranging from eastern Brooklyn, to the Nassau border and south to the Rockaway Peninsula, Jamaica Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center is responsible for providing expert, high quality, life-saving care to millions; and the demand to deliver these services has never been greater.
<br>Jamaica Hospital has been providing trauma care since 1985 and over the years, we have developed a reputation for our experience and expertise in the field. We are a destination of choice for doctors to train and we are actively engaged in trauma research to enhance patient outcomes. Most importantly however, we are a trusted resource for those who need us. For true emergencies, most will agree that nobody is better prepared than Jamaica Hospital. Our goal is to be here for the community and as demonstrated by our recent ACS verification we will continue to save lives every day, even under the most extreme circumstances.
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