University Hospital of Northern B.C. is now recognized nationally by the Trauma Association of Canada (TAC) as a Level 3 trauma centre.
For trauma patents sent to Prince George for treatment, that means medical staff will be available at all times, day or night, to provide general surgery, orthopedic care, radiology, anesthesia, internal medicine, critical care and emergency services.
"We knew that [for UHNBC] we met the criteria for a Level 3, probably for at least 10 years, but now we've gone to the national guidelines and are fully accredited," said Jordan Oliver, the Northern Health Authority's regional manager of trauma services.
The TAC conducted a full review in November of all trauma services provided at hospital throughout the Northern Health region, which also resulted in Level 5 trauma designations for Fort St. John Hospital and Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace.
"The primary goal of seeking accreditation is to basically optimize outcomes of the critically-injured patient population in Northern Health by harmonizing the care given across the entire region," Oliver said.
"We're not just looking at Prince George, we're looking at everything. How does a patent from Prince Rupert get to the place they need to be to get the highest level of care, and how can we do that expeditiously. And we proved that we do that in a timely fashion."
UHNBC has an agreement in place with BC Children's Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital, as well as hospitals in Edmonton, to ensure acceptance of any trauma patient in need of a higher level of care that what is available in Prince George. UHNBC does not have a burn unit, lacks the medical expertise to treat spinal cord injuries, major pediatric trauma, neurological injuries that require surgery, and cardiothoracic (heart, lungs and chest) injuries.
See Wednesday's Citizen for more
