MACON, Ga. — For the third time, Atrium received re-verification by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Currently, the Central Georgia hospital is the only level-one trauma center in central and south Georgia.
The ACS is an organization that looks to improve surgical patient care while putting safeguards in place for the care.
Atrium became a level-one trauma center in 1998. In 2016, they received national recognition. This means the hospital has met the regulatory standards of care to treat trauma patients.
But Atrium's Trauma Program Manager Tracy Johns says having the status comes with a high price.
"To be a trauma center, a level one trauma center, it cost $6 million," Johns said.
With WellStar closed in Atlanta, that means there are only five level-one trauma centers in the state of Georgia.
Receiving the level one status means the hospital has the right treatment, the right surgeons and acts as a referral center for other community hospitals. Tract says emergency management plays a role.
"Those paramedics, those EMTs, they know when they see a patient and they're assessing them, they know how critical they are. So, they may go past another hospital to get to a trauma center," Johns said.
Johns says trauma units are funded through the states as part of a super speeder fund. Other funding comes from the state's trauma commission to support the hospital and other needs.
"Based on the number of patients you see that are considered uncompensated care, some of it is to help pay for the services of running a trauma program," Johns said.
The next closest level-one trauma centers to Macon are Augusta and Atlanta, so it helps to save lives across Central and South Georgia.
Atrium has the second-largest trauma population. The first is Grady Hospital in Atlanta.