Summit Medical Center Designated Level III Trauma Center

Summit Medical Center in Van Buren recently has been designated a Level III Trauma Center by the Arkansas Department of Health.

The statewide trauma system started Jan. 1, 2011. The highest level a hospital can have is Level I, meaning it’s required to have specialized surgeons on duty at all times to treat the most serious health care situations. So far, 54 hospitals are in the network with five hospitals holding the Level I designation. Level IV is the lowest and 27 hospitals have that designation.

In the trauma network, the Arkansas Trauma Call Center acts like an air traffic controller and directs ambulance drivers to the best hospital for the patient’s injuries in the fastest time.

Summit Medical Center is a 103-bed acute care hospital. In 2010, the latest figures available to Arkansas Business, Summit reported $110 million in patient revenue and a loss of $462,879.