Randall Children’s Hospital has been verified as a Level 1 pediatric trauma center — the first children’s hospital in Oregon to attain the status.
Erika Ohm, the manager of pediatric trauma at the Portland hospital, said the designation means they can treat even the most severely injured children.
“Anyone who has a child with special needs that is injured or ill, they know that Randall Children’s Hospital can treat even the most minor injuries to the most severe, with specialist that are trained just to take care of kids.”
The verification means the hospital has pediatric specialists are available round-the-clock in every discipline from anesthesia to neurosurgery.
Treating children can be different from treating adults. For example, a child’s broken bone has to be reset with a view to future growth, unlike an adult's.
Roughly 50 pediatric trauma centers nationwide have been verified as Level 1 by the American College of Surgeons.
Copyright 2017 Oregon Public Broadcasting
