New Mexico continues to have a place to send its trauma patients, as the UNM Hospital recently retained its Level 1 status.
The hospital remains the only health care facility of its kind in the state.
UNMH earned the re-verification after its four-year review by a national accrediting board despite recent staffing deficiencies and controversies.
In September, all six of the hospital's neurosurgery division residents and most of the department's faculty resigned. The resignations came after the division's chief, Bruce Storrs, was demoted.
The resignations left the hospital understaffed in the trauma department, and it is alleged that the hospital had to turn away trauma patients for a short time because of the deficiency.
"We believed all along that we would be able to retain our Level 1 status," said Steve McKernan, the hospital's chief executive officer. "We have been working to ensure that all of our departments are up to speed. I am confident that we will continue to deliver the same level of care that we always have."
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McKernan said the resignations in September have not affected the training or service UNMH provides New Mexico.
The American College of Surgeons, the accrediting body that oversees all hospital trauma divisions in the country, evidently agreed, not only re-verifying the hospital but offering its trauma division a commendation on its commitment to provide high quality care to its patients.
The American College of Surgeons was founded in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice, according to its Web site.
Robert Coscia, chairman of the college's verification review programs, said there is a stringent list of 160 aspects of trauma departments that are scrutinized during the re-verification process.
He said UNMH met every one.
"Evidently they must be doing something right if they can meet our standards," Coscia said. "Despite their past trouble, we have every confidence in the hospital to provide outstanding care to its patients."
Angela Heisel, public affairs representative for UNMH, said two of the necessary components of a trauma division are a research department and a community prevention outreach program. She said the hospital is exceptional in these areas.
Another stipulation for a successful trauma division, according to American College of Surgeon's Web site, is a successful residency program.
McKernan said the hospital should fill three of the neurosurgery residency vacancies over the course of the spring semester. He said the division chief vacancy has yet to be filled, but that they are currently looking at several possible candidates for the position.
