Sanford USD Medical Center Named Level II Pediatric Trauma Center

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma this week verified Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD, as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center—the first and only one for the region, Sanford Health & MeritCare announced today.

The verification means access to pediatric surgeons, emergency physicians, a dedicated pediatric trauma flight team, and rapid access to operating rooms. Following treatment at the Trauma 5 ED, the pediatric patients will likely be transferred to the nearby146-bed Sanford Children's Hospital.

"This is a wonderful step forward for the care of the pediatric trauma patient in our region. To know that a pediatric specialist is involved in your child's care from the moment they arrive at Trauma 5 through their rehabilitation should be comforting," Pediatric Trauma Director and Pediatric Surgeon Adela Casas-Melley, MD, said in a media release.

With more than 500 beds, Sanford USD Medical Center is the largest tertiary care hospital in South Dakota. The hospital also received re-verification as a Level II Adult Trauma Center by the ACSCT, and has been verified as an adult trauma center for 16 years.