Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Receives Level lll Trauma Verification

Photo By Reese Brown | FORT BELVOIR, VA. (March 30, 2022)-- Staff Members, Market Leadership and community leaders gather to witness the Belvoir Hospital's official announcement of its Level lll Trauma Center verification in an unveiling ceremony March 30, 2022. This verification by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) certifies the organization's ability to provide prompt assessment, surgery, intensive care and emergency operations. To date, this medical treatment facility is the only community hospital in the Military Health System to achieve this verification. he Belvoir Hospital is a 120-bed, 1.3 million-square-foot military community hospital that serves a regional population of 250,000 personnel with about 100,000 enrollees receiving inpatient and specialty care services supported by 55 specialty clinics, a Warrior Pavilion (for combat injured/wounded/ ill), Inpatient Addictions Program, and three satellite family health centers at the Pentagon, Dumfries and Fairfax, Va. (Department of Defense photos by Reese Brown)  

FORT BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

03.30.2022

Story by Reese Brown  

Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center

FORT BELVOIR, VA. (March 28, 2022) – The Fort Belvoir Community Hospital is proud to announce it has received Level lll Trauma Center verification for demonstrating its ability to provide prompt assessment, surgery, intensive care and emergency operations at its facility nestled within the heart of Northern Virginia’s Mount Vernon neighborhood.

The recognition, a long sought after goal for the community military hospital, was awarded by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), which verifies the organization’s continued dedication to providing the highest quality of acute care to the residents in our region and is a priority of the Military Health System (MHS) as it supports military readiness.

“It’s an incredible milestone to celebrate becoming a verified Level III trauma center,” said Col. Kathy Spangler, Director of the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. “This rigorous verification process validates Belvoir Hospital’s commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients who arrive at our facility allowing immediate access to advanced life-saving capabilities.”

Hospitals seeking verification must undergo intense scrutiny by reviewers from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (COT) every three years. Level III trauma centers, through an organized trauma response, must be able to provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, stabilization, emergency operations and arrange the transfer of the patient to a facility that can provide definitive trauma care.

“Level III Trauma Center verification has a substantial positive impact on military readiness,” said Dr. Paul Brisson, director for surgical services. “Trauma care is multidisciplinary, and the management of trauma patients requires a systematic approach that is used for every trauma patient that arrives at the facility. Coincidentally, this same approach is used in the treatment of war casualties in deployed situations, essentially providing a readiness training opportunity for all attending staff members.”

Currently, the MHS has ten additional Medical Treatment Facilities with trauma verifications: 1 Level I, 4 Level II; 4 Level III; and 1 Level IV.

“The Defense Health Agency (DHA) has made it a priority that MTF’s with inpatient capacity position themselves to qualify for trauma center verification,” Brisson said. “The local community benefits by the high level of care being provided and by the requirement of the injury prevention programs we conduct.

The Belvoir Hospital is a 120-bed, 1.3 million-square-foot military community hospital that serves a regional military and dependent population of 250,000 personnel with over 100,000 enrollees receiving inpatient and specialty care services supported by 55 specialty clinics, a Warrior Pavilion (for combat injured/wounded/ill), Inpatient Addictions Program, DiLorenzo Pentagon Health Clinic, and two satellite family health centers at Dumfries and Fairfax, Va.

• Date Taken: 03.30.2022
• Date Posted: 04.12.2022 09:41
• Story ID: 418314
• Location: FORT BELVOIR, VA, US