Chippenham Hospital reaches Level I trauma status

Only hospital in southern Richmond region to earn accreditation

Published October 19, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Health care network HCA Virginia announced Monday that Chippenham Hospital on Oct. 15 was designated by the commonwealth of Virginia as a Level I Trauma Center, making it the only such center in the southern Richmond metropolitan area.

Level I Trauma Centers provide more care options for severely injured patients and the accreditation is the highest level a hospital trauma center can receive. A hospital must meet all requirements to accept a higher acuity (or severity of illness) in order to receive the designation.

“This accreditation demonstrates the focus on patient care and the hard work our staff does every day,” Chippenham Hospital CEO William Lunn said in a statement. “This accomplishment was made possible through the dedication and collaboration of our world-class team of nurses, physicians and support teams who are trained and passionate about caring for the most severely injured patients in our community.”

In order to meet Level I Trauma Center standards, hospitals must offer 24/7 availability of surgical and medical personnel, including trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, orthopedists, neurosurgeons, intensive care physicians and cardiac surgeons as well as the latest technology and equipment, nurses and staff. There must also be an operating room with advanced imaging and cardiopulmonary bypass technology, interventional radiology capabilities and critical care services.

For a year before Chippenham Hospital received this designation, the adult emergency care department received more than 95,000 ill and injured patients, with more than 1,300 submitted to the Virginia State Trauma Registry, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As part of its Level I Trauma designation, Chippenham Hospital will increase its resident education and research opportunities as well as add infrastructure, including an additional ambulance bay, four trauma bays and helipads.

Opened in 1972, Chippenham Hospital is located directly off of VA-150 (Chippenham Parkway).