Public Policy of the Brain Injury Network
Policy approved by the Board 12/15/13
Link to ACS updated 8/14/22
Hospital Trauma Centers in the USA
In the United States, certain hospitals seek out and qualify for accreditation from the American College of Surgeons as verified Trauma Centers. These hospitals receive such designations because they meet vigorous standards and protocols as required by the ACS. Hospitals are characterized as Trauma Level One, Two, or Three. This is where one can search for a list of verified ACS Trauma Centers. American College of Surgeons (ACS)
No hospital or hospital staff should ever explicitly state or tacitly imply that they meet the standards of the ACS trauma system unless they have actually been certified by the ACS. Additionally, no hospital personnel should ever state that even though they are a Level Two facility they are virtually the same thing as a Level One hospital. Likewise, a Level Three hospital should not imply in any way that in actuality it is on a par with a Level Two trauma center. These would be examples of false advertising.