BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern Medical's trauma center has been re-verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, recognizing the hospital's commitment to providing comprehensive, lifesaving care for injured patients.
Allison Osvog, Clinical Manager for Trauma Medicine at Kern Medical, said the re-verification process is rigorous and spans an entire year.
"They're looking at our administrative commitment to the trauma program — do we have the appropriate resources? Do we have the appropriate supplies, the appropriate physicians? And then they have a big focus on are we reviewing our quality of care? Are we going through each case and trying to learn something from it?"
Osvog said the hospital passed with no deficiencies.
"They're the ultimate body. They're setting those standards, and we're very proud to say that we passed with zero deficiencies, and it's something that we're very proud of, and we hope the community's proud."
The review, which takes place every 3 years, requires hospitals to submit policies and documentation, and also involves reviewers examining 25 patient cases — from the initial EMS response at the scene through autopsy, when applicable.
"We're going through our care — where are opportunities for improvement? What did we identify as our opportunities for improvement, and, best of all, what did we do about them? How did we make sure future and similar patients have even a better experience?"
Osvog said that even earning zero deficiencies does not mean the work stops. Reviewers identified areas where the hospital could still improve, and staff meet monthly to review cases internally.
"They identified some opportunities where they said, hey, you guys have an opportunity here to improve a little bit better and help guide us on what we should be looking at, what processes can we improve. We come together with all of our surgeons, all of our physicians, our ER docs every single month and review cases. We review all of our trauma cases."
She said the drive to improve is constant and non-negotiable.
"We always wanna do better. There's always opportunity — if anybody says there's not, that's not necessarily true."
As the only Level 2 trauma center within 100 miles in Kern County, Kern Medical serves as the regional hub for the most serious traumatic injuries. Most ambulances transport trauma patients directly to the hospital, while other local facilities — including Level 4 trauma centers — stabilize patients before transferring them to Kern Medical.
Osvog said the pressure that comes with that responsibility is appropriate.
"There is a lot of pressure, but there should be a lot of pressure. This is patients' lives, and this is the worst day of their lives — a traumatic event, whether it be a car accident or a shooting, stabbing, this is the worst day of people's lives, and it's critical, and we have to be on the very top of our game to be able to offer these services."
Osvog said the team wasted no time before beginning preparations for the next re-verification cycle.
"The day after, I was already getting everything ready to start on our next one, and we're constantly reviewing processes. We're constantly improving our care, and as we should be. We're humans, and we've got to make sure that we are providing the best possible care, and with medicine, things change daily."
This story was reported on air by a journalist and has been converted for this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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