Loyola Medicine receives verification from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma
January 23, 2026
Categories: Awards & Recognitions, Emergency Medicine & Trauma
CONTACT:
Allison Peters
allison.peters@luhs.org
708-216-6140
MAYWOOD, IL – The trauma center at Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) has been verified as a Level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT). Patients cared for in ACS-verified trauma centers have a lower risk of death and improved quality of life compared with patients in non-verified centers. Loyola is one of only two hospitals in Illinois to receive this prestigious designation.
“LUMC is honored to be verified by the ACS as a Level I trauma center for nearly 30 years,” said Elizabeth Early, President of Loyola University Medical Center. “Since 1995, LUMC has worked diligently to maintain this high level of care. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in trauma care and to our shared mission of delivering exceptional, lifesaving care when it matters most.”
Level 1 trauma center verification confirms the highest standard of trauma care
ACS Level I trauma centers must be capable of providing system leadership and comprehensive trauma care for all injuries. In addition to providing acute trauma care, these centers have an important role in local trauma system development, regional disaster planning, increasing capacity and advancing trauma care through research.
The ACS does not designate trauma centers. A facility earns the title of “designated trauma center” when it meets the requirements of government or other authorizing entities. ACS verified trauma centers must meet additional criteria that ensure trauma care capability and the highest level of institutional performance. There are three levels of ACS trauma center verification, each defined by specific standards that speak to the important roles of the center in serving its community. These standards clarify the care that must be available to the injured patient at the facility, along with other expectations related to research and educational contributions to advance the field and to ensure the availability of highly qualified trauma providers in the future.
LUMC is also a participant in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS TQIP). ACS TQIP ensures that a hospital has acquired the strongest surgical data to analyze and improve patient outcomes. ACS TQIP complements the ACS Trauma VRC program by providing centers with the information they need to make changes to care so they continually improve the outcomes of their patients. Together, these programs help patients cared for in an ACS-verified trauma center receive the best care possible, which is critical because trauma patients often have little choice in where they receive care. ACS TQIP includes interactive data tools that provide multiple opportunities for centers to learn best practices in trauma from other centers and subject matter experts.
As an ACS surgical quality partner, LUMC adheres to rigorous surgical standards
As an ACS-verified trauma center, LUMC also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies LUMC’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know LUMC is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.
"ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, LUMC has shown a commitment to providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating itself to continuous self-improvement," said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.
About Loyola Medicine
Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago's western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC), Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from nearly 2,000 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. LUMC is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, the John L. Keeley, MD, Emergency Department, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois's largest burn center, the Nancy W. Knowles Orthopaedic Institute, a certified comprehensive stroke center, transplant center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
Established in 1961, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital is a 235-licensed-bed community hospital in Melrose Park that includes the Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department, the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care, Loyola Cancer Care & Research at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center, acute rehabilitation, a transitional care center, childcare center and fitness center. Founded in 1919, MacNeal Hospital is a 349-licensed-bed teaching hospital in Berwyn with advanced medical, surgical and psychiatric services and a 68-bed behavioral health program.
For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly known as Twitter).
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 127,000 colleagues and more than 38,300 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 26 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 93 hospitals, 107 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 142 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. In fiscal year 2024, the Livonia, Michigan-based health system invested $1.3 billion in its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. For more information, visit us at www.trinity-health.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter).