ANMC hospital celebrates 25 years as a Level II Trauma Center
November 12, 2024
This year, the Alaska Native Medical Center celebrates its 25-year anniversary as a Level II Trauma Center, first receiving designation in 1999.
In 1996, ANMC received designation as Alaska’s first Level III Trauma Center. Upon reverification in June 1999, ANMC received an upgraded designation as a Level II Trauma Center, which was also a first for any hospital in Alaska. ANMC first received verification as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center in 2018.
These achievements recognize ANMC’s dedication to providing optimal care for both adult and pediatric injured patients.
Having a Level II Trauma Center in the Alaska Tribal Health System means the people we serve receive the best trauma care, closer to home. A Level II Trauma Center is able to initiate definitive care for all injured patients. Elements of Level II Trauma Centers Include: 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.
In July 2024, ANMC cared for record number of 114 trauma patients. ANMC usually receives between 50-89 trauma cases each month. Sixty percent of trauma cases received at ANMC are transferred into Anchorage from rural Alaskan communities.
Trauma Centers go through the reverification process every three years and in 2022, ANMC was reverified as a Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). ANMC will go through the reverification process again in 2025.
“It is a privilege to be recognized as a center that provides the highest level of adult and pediatric trauma care in the state of Alaska,” said Dr. Elisha Brownson, ANMC Trauma Medical Director. “This designation is an accomplishment shared by multiple departments across the hospital, our administration, and the care provided at our Tribal health organizations. We are proud to provide excellent trauma care throughout the full spectrum of injury, including prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation.”
ANMC is one of two Anchorage hospitals providing the highest level of trauma care and services in Alaska and ANMC is also the referral center for every Tribal health facility in the state. ANMC offers a wide range of trauma care services and admits 800-900 trauma patients per year.
ANMC’s commitment to injury prevention and the quality of care provided have not gone unnoticed. Despite the vast geographical distances patients must travel for care in Anchorage, ANMC’s specialty care response times and access to needed surgical procedures for trauma care have been found to be exceptional, leaving a lasting impression on site reviewers.
Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the ACS-COT in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual. Established by 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.
The ACS COT’s Consultation/Verification Program for hospitals does not designate trauma centers. Instead, it confirms that a trauma center, like ANMC, has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to providing the highest-quality trauma care for all injured patients. The Alaska Trauma Systems Review Committee (TSRC) has designated ANMC as a Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma center through 2025, confirming that ANMC is providing optimal care for critically injured patients throughout every step of their trauma care.