Kaiser Permanente's South Sacramento Medical Center has been verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level II trauma center.
The center got provisional verification by the group last year so it could begin operations, but the process requires reviewers to evaluate the program after it is up and running.
Reviewers conducted another on-site review in March to evaluate trauma center staff, equipment and other resources to make sure they meet national standards. Full verification will be in effect until 2013.
Since opening Aug. 1, the new South Sacramento trauma center has treated an average of 150 patients per month.
"We are extremely proud that the American College of Surgeons has verified that our program meets their stringent standards," Dr. Richard Isaacs, physician-in-chief at Kaiser Permanente South.
Sacramento, said in a press release. "We have an excellent staff here and we are committed to caring for some of the area's most critically injured patients."
The South Sacramento hospital serves an area from Interstate 5 east to Rancho Cordova, and from Florin Road south to the San Joaquin County line.
The trauma center is a first for Kaiser Permanente nationwide.
