Melissa Tymchuk, Manager of Public Relations for the hospital, said while the hospital has been treating trauma patients for some time, the designation would greatly benefit North Georgia residents with serious emergencies.
"The EMS field guidelines call for patients that meet the criteria to go to a designated trauma center," said Tymchuk. "So without being designated they have had to in the past bypass our hospital for a designated center in Atlanta."
Tymchuk said the visit would take place on December 5. "[The department] will conduct the site visit and then if we achieve designation, for that point forward, we would be submitting reports to that office and also expecting periodic follow up visits from them," she said.
Tymchuk also explained why the hospital is applying for a Level Two designation. Level One, she said, is reserved for education-based hospitals "Since we are not a 'teaching' hospital, Level Two is the highest designation we could achieve."
The hospital is expecting a verdict by the end of the year.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/11/268312