Greenville, N.C. – James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center received verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, becoming one of only four in the state. Maynard Children’s Hospital now joins ECU Health Medical Center as the only Level I Trauma Centers in eastern North Carolina.
“We are proud of the dedication that all of our team members at Maynard Children’s Hospital have made to prioritizing the delivery of high-quality care close to home, and achieving Level I Trauma Center verification is a demonstration of that commitment,” said Tara Stroud, vice president, Women’s and Children’s Services, Maynard Children’s Hospital. “This verification aligns with our mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina by ensuring patients receive prompt and specialized critical care, right here in our region.”
According to the ACS, Level I Trauma Centers must be capable of providing system leadership and comprehensive trauma care for all injuries. In its central role, a Level I Trauma Center must have adequate depth of resources and personnel. Most Level I Trauma Centers are university-based teaching hospitals due to the resources required for patient care, education and research. In addition to providing acute trauma care, these centers have an important role in local trauma system development, regional disaster planning, increasing capacity and advancing trauma care through research.
“Being a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center reaffirms our ability to provide timely, life-saving care for pediatric trauma patients,” said Dr. Shannon Longshore, pediatric trauma surgeon and medical director of the pediatric trauma unit, ECU Health Medical Center. “We see pediatric patients with injuries as the result of falls, motor vehicle collisions, ATV and dirt bike accidents and firearm injuries. The change from Level II to Level I demonstrates Maynard Children’s Hospital’s ability to maintain the highest level of care for patients and advance research publications, national presence as a trauma center and community outreach.”
In Fiscal Year 2023, ECU Health Medical Center cared for a total of 4,057 patients – 3,721 adult and 336 pediatric cases. Nearly 60 percent of patients at ECU Health Medical Center and Maynard Children’s Hospital are transferred in from other hospitals for a higher level of care; the national average is 30 percent.
ACS listed the following as major strengths of the Pediatric Trauma Program: The Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program, the outstanding commitment and quality of care provided by the adult trauma/acute care surgeons, availability of whole blood for pediatric trauma patients, three trauma bays, having at least two radiologist in-house 24/7 performing reads and available for consultation, neurosurgical and orthopedic support, disaster management planning and pediatric rehabilitation center.
Maynard Children’s Hospital was previously verified as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center first in 2017. The verification lasts for three years, until February 2027. ECU Health Medical Center has been a Level I Trauma Center since 2005 and recently received re-verification in 2024.
“Maynard Children’s Hospital and ECU Health Medical Center serving as the sole Level I Trauma Centers in eastern North Carolina underscores the value of having a robust system of care with different levels of specialization, ensuring patients receive timely and appropriate treatment for all injuries, from pediatric to adult cases,” said Brian Floyd, chief operating officer, ECU Health. “Maynard Children’s Hospital’s recent verification as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center reflects ECU Health’s commitment to clinical excellence and academic research, leading to tangible, life-saving benefits for the communities and patients we serve.”