Ben Taub Hospital in Houston was notified this week by the American College of Surgeons that its Level I verification has been extended for an additional two years, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Last year the ACS declined to grant full three-year verification to Ben Taub, citing significant concerns about operating room availability and surgeon staffing. The recent positive decision extends the hospital’s Level I verification through March 2018.
Ben Taub’s troubles began in 2014 during its scheduled ACS verification visit. (Read ACS warning: Ben Taub gets one-year verification.) At the time, the hospital had taken three ORs out of service because they no longer met size and ventilation requirements, according to the Chronicle report. In addition, surgeon turnover around the time of the visit left the trauma program short-staffed.
The ACS gave hospital leaders until last October to develop a corrective action plan. Reviewers returned to Ben Taub in November and provided a positive report on the trauma program’s progress, according to the news report. Ben Taub has hired three surgeons, and Harris County has earmarked $70 million to build several additional ORs at the facility.