Level 1 Emergency and Critical Care Facility and Provisional Trauma Center
August 19, 2019
WVRC – Waukesha is a recognized American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care provisional trauma center.
Our Criticalists and emergency clinicians are prepared to expertly manage all types of traumatic injuries in our state-of-the-art facilities. Our Criticalists lead our trauma center team and provide valuable oversight and direct management of all of our trauma patients.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is a serious or critical bodily injury often leading to life-threatening complications in multiple areas of the body. The most common causes of trauma are related to pet injuries associated with blunt trauma from motor vehicles and penetrating trauma due to dog bite wounds, gun shots and accidents with sharp objects.
What is a Veterinary Trauma Center?
A veterinary trauma center is designed to provide specialized medical care to pets suffering from traumatic injuries. Veterinary trauma centers must have specialists and in-depth resources available 24/7 and be continuously prepared to treat the most serious life threatening and disabling injuries. Veterinary trauma centers must undergo a rigorous verification process established by the Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) group in order to be recognized as a Veterinary Trauma Center (VTC). As a recognized American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care provisional trauma center, Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center’s Critical Care specialists and emergency clinicians are prepared to expertly manage all types of traumatic injuries in our state-of-the-art facilities. This distinction is only awarded to a select group of emergency and specialty hospitals committed to caring for the veterinary trauma patient.
How do Trauma Centers Differ from Emergency Critical Care Services?
Both trauma centers and emergency critical care certified facilities provide 24-hour expert emergency critical care services. As a recognized American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care provisional trauma center, Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center’s Critical Care specialists and emergency clinicians are prepared to expertly manage all types of traumatic injuries in our state-of-the-art facilities. Our Critical Care specialists lead our trauma center team and provide valuable oversight and direct management of all of our trauma patients. Trauma centers must have 24-hour availability of a team of specially trained health care providers who have expertise in the care of severely injured patients. Specialty resources also include 24-hour availability of a trauma resuscitation area, operating rooms, well-staffed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging including trauma CT scans, blood bank and pharmacy.
Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center –Waukesha is also a certified Level 1 emergency and critical care facility. As a 24-hour acute care facility we have all of the resources and specialty training necessary to provide sophisticated emergent and critical patient care. Our facility is open to receive small animal emergency and critical care patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
A Level 1 facility must have a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (Critical Care Specialists) employed full time and available for consultation either on-site or by phone 24/7. As a Level 1 emergency and critical care facility, WVRC – Waukesha meets all of the requirements required for Level 1 Certification by the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS). The includes the very highest level of emergency and critical care services.
