LEWISTON — Central Maine Medical Center has regained its status as a verified Level II Trauma Center.
Verification, similar to certification or accreditation, is handled by the American College of Surgeons. CMMC was supposed to go through the process of renewing its verification in 2012 when all four of its trauma surgeons quit, including the program’s director.
The four surgeons did not publicly say why they decided to leave CMMC. At the time, Chuck Gill, spokesman for CMMC’s parent organization, Central Maine Healthcare, said the hospital and surgeons had “a professional disagreement.” The doctors declined to elaborate.
All four were hired by MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta.
The trauma program’s verification lapsed on June 11, 2012. The American College of Surgeons agreed to put off the reverification process until the hospital could hire more surgeons.
To be verified, a hospital must prove its trauma center meets certain criteria and is capable of providing good care.
CMMC’s trauma program operated with visiting doctors for about a year. Last spring it hired a new, permanent director. In recent months it has added four surgeons and expects to hire two or three more.
All will be expected to maintain general surgery practices and to perform as trauma surgeons.
The American College of Surgeons completed its on-site review of CMMC in November. The hospital received its letter of reverification earlier this month.
“They were very complimentary of the strategy that we were doing around the surgical practice with the trauma surgeons,” hospital President Tina Legere said.
She said the reviewers found no deficiencies.
“The quality has never been a problem with the program,” Legere said.
Once all doctors are hired, the trauma program will double the number of surgeons it had in 2012. Legere said that will make it easier for the doctors to be on call. As a verified trauma center, CMMC must have a trauma surgeon available around the clock.
CMMC has one of three trauma programs in Maine. The others are with Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and Maine Medical Center in Portland. EMMC’s program is verified. Maine Medical Center’s verification lapsed last year because of an administrative issue. A hospital spokesman has said Maine Med will seek reinstatement this year.
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- Dr. Rajeev N. Puri is one of several new trauma surgeons at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
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- Dr. Shiraz Farooq is one of several new trauma surgeons at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
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- Dr. James F. Reilly is director of Central Maine Medical Center’s trauma program.
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- Dr. Rosa E. Turcois is one of several new trauma surgeons at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
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- Dr. Laura Withers is one of several new trauma surgeons at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
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