Reading Hospital has received a full three-year accreditation as a Level I Trauma Center, effective October 1, 2022, from the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF). This is the highest level of accreditation available for trauma care.
In March, a clinical survey team selected by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation was onsite to meet with hospital and trauma leaders, sub-specialty liaisons, and multidisciplinary care team representatives. Much of the day was spent completing an extensive chart review.
The following strengths of the Reading Hospital Trauma program were identified by the site survey team and supported by the PTSF Board of Directors:
- Administrative Commitment to providing trauma care to the community
- Strong Trauma Faculty
- Collaborative and engaged subspecialty liaisons
- Full complement of Trauma Advanced Practitioners
- Ability to leverage the electronic medical record into patient care optimization
- State-of-the-art Trauma Resuscitation Unit and dedicated trauma administration offices
- Robust and innovative integration of videotaping of trauma resuscitations to support operating room notification and quality improvement initiatives
- Trauma Resuscitation Nursing Support, including Trauma Core RNs and Coach Nurses
- Injury Prevention and community outreach with dedicated resources
Several team members were also recognized for their role in the program, including Thomas Geng, DO, Trauma Program Medical Director; Anthony Martin, MBA, BSN, RN, Trauma Program Manager; Sarah Mathew, MD, Associate Performance Improvement Director; Adrian Ong, MD, Research Director; and Eugene Reilly, MD, Director of Informatics.
Accredited continuously since 2005, Reading Hospital Trauma Center is the first and only trauma center in Berks County serving patients in the region with the most life-threatening injuries. Level I accreditation indicates that the Trauma Center provides multidisciplinary treatment and specialized resources for trauma patients, conducts trauma research, has a surgical residency program, and treats at least 600 major trauma patients per year.
"Congratulations to the stellar Level I Trauma Center team at Reading Hospital," said Charles F. Barbera, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer at Reading Hospital. "When a traumatic injury occurs every second counts, and I am so proud that we have the experienced team which provides life-saving care to those in need, right here in our community. In 2021, they evaluated and treated 3,527 patients. Congratulations to the Trauma Team on this impressive achievement."
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 697-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for four consecutive years (and moving up to America's 50 Best Hospitals in 2022) and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.