Penn State Health Children’s Hospital has prestigious surgical designation reaffirmed

Penn State Health Children’s Hospital once again has achieved Level 1 Children’s Surgery Verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) for its ability to provide exceptional surgical care. The hospital is the only Level 1-verified center in Pennsylvania and one of seven within the Mid-Atlantic region to achieve the designation as part of the ACS’s Children’s Surgery Verification Program.

Unlike when the Children’s Hospital achieved initial verification in 2017, the reverification process included Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center (HOSC) because of the quality of its patient care provided by Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center surgeons and anesthesia staff.

“Renewal of our children’s surgery verification affirms our commitment to meet the needs of patients by providing high-quality, patient-centered care,” said Dr. Robert Cilley, surgeon-in-chief, who was instrumental in the effort to secure the initial verification. “It points to the high level of safety in the care Penn State Health Children’s Hospital provides for families in the region.”

To achieve Level 1 verification – the highest level awarded by ACS – hospitals must meet criteria related to staffing, training and facility infrastructure, as well as protocols for care. This includes the presence of children’s surgical and medical specialists, pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric emergency physicians, all of whom are prepared to handle the specific needs of children. Such hospitals also must provide surgical care across multiple specialties, including procedures for complex diseases and major congenital anomalies. Learn more about Level 1 verification here.

The Children’s Hospital earned the three-year verification following an extensive site visit by a team of ACS surveyors that included a vigorous review of both the hospital’s and HOSC’s structure, process and clinical data outcomes. The team identified 14 strengths in the Children’s Surgical Verification program, a number not often recognized within one organization.

The Children’s Hospital is the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center in the region, and has more than 20 pediatric specialties and more than 30 outpatient locations throughout Pennsylvania. For 11 consecutive years, it has been ranked among the Best Children’s Hospitals in multiple specialties by U.S. News & World Report.

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