Vacaville Kaiser Permanente Submits Trauma Center Application

Vacaville Medical Center expects to become Level III center by the end of the year

Vacaville, CA -- Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center on Friday, April 22, submitted its formal application to the Solano County Emergency Medical Services Agency to provide trauma services in Solano County

The application is an important step in Kaiser Permanente’s plan to establish trauma care at its Vacaville Medical Center by the end of the year. “We are excited to bring this life-saving resource to the Solano County community,” said Max Villalobos, Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president and area manager for Napa-Solano. “There is a need for trauma services in this community, and Kaiser Permanente has already demonstrated that we have the necessary expertise to quickly develop and operate a high-performing trauma center.”

Kaiser Permanente’s South Sacramento Medical Center launched a Level II trauma center in August 2009. A year later, the chief of Sacramento County’s emergency services called the center, which is fully accredited by the American College of Surgeons, the finest such program he’d seen in his 40-year career.

Kaiser Permanente is the largest health care provider in Solano County and provides a significant portion of the county’s emergency medical services – to members and non-members alike. “Our emergency rooms are and always have been open to all,” Villalobos said.  “We believe we have a responsibility to continue to provide a high level of emergency care to those in Solano County who depend on us.”

Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center already cares for many victims of car accidents, falls or violence, but the designation as a Level III trauma center would  enable it to treat all trauma victims except those requiring Level I or Level II trauma care, who would need to be transported out of the county.  Kaiser Permanente has expressed an interest in having its Vacaville hospital designated a Level II trauma center, but given the process established by the county, will first pursue a Level III designation for that facility.

“Kaiser Permanente believes Vacaville is the right place for a trauma center in Solano County based on a number of factors, including population growth patterns in the county, the close proximity of the Vacaville hospital to Interstate 80, and the facility’s available capacity to fully support a trauma center,” Villalobos said.  

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Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to www.kp.org/newscenter.