Camden-Clark regains Level III trauma status
By DAVE PAYNE Sr., dpayne@newsandsentinel.comPARKERSBURG - Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital is once again a Level III trauma center, hospital officials enthusiastically announced Thursday.
The hospital's trauma designation was reinstated Tuesday, Mike King, CEO, announced Thursday. Most severe-trauma patients will again be treated at Camden-Clark instead of being transferred to another hospital.
"This is a good day for the residents of Parkersburg," King said.
The hospital was designated a Level IV center after orthopedic surgeons of First Settlement Orthopedics resigned their privileges Jan. 1. In the meantime, patients who required an orthopedic surgeon were stabilized and taken to another hospital.
The hospital has arranged for around-the-clock, emergency orthopedic surgical coverage with Delphi Healthcare Partners Inc., based in Morrisville, N.C.
King said Delphi has provided three surgeons, with another to arrive in the area soon. The hospital will have five surgeons in all as another private surgeon with privileges at the hospital, he said.
Dr. Anthony Kitchen, emergency medical director for the hospital, said the designation has already had a positive impact. Not only does the ability to treat that type of injury locally help save lives, it can spare many people extended stays as they are transferred from hospital to hospital, he said.
"Last night a patient would have been sent to another hospital went home in a matter hours instead of days," he said.
Dr. Adam Kaplan, director of trauma services, said the "vast majority" of trauma patients will now stay local and the ability to treat them immediately instead of stabilizing and sending to another hospital can prevent complications and save lives.
"We call it the 'golden hour,' if you have intervention in the first hour after injury, the chances of a positive outcome increase substantially," Kaplan said.
