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UTMC dropping down to Level 3 trauma center from a Level 1

The city of Toledo currently has three Level I trauma programs, making this continued investment unnecessary to fulfill the needs of the community, UTMC's CEO said.
Credit: WTOL

The University of Toledo Medical Center seeks to drop its Level 1 adult trauma center designation down to a Level 3 trauma center, and calls the move part of its long-term strategy to transition to a community hospital. 

UTMC notified the American College of Surgeons this week that it desires to change its verification status. 

“This has been our long-term strategy, and we have been working for several years to transition to a community hospital focused on serving South Toledo,” UTMC CEO Dan Barbee said Thursday. “Most recently we have increased our emphasis on primary care and behavioral health, and we will continue to evolve to meet the healthcare needs of our community.”

The city of Toledo currently has three Level I trauma programs, making this continued investment unnecessary to fulfill the needs of the community, Barbee said. As part of UTMC's long-term strategy, this move is said to enable it to align operations with the health care needs of south Toledo and the surrounding communities.

Earlier this month, UTMC opened the new Comprehensive Care Center, which offers a variety of primary care services, including family medicine, internal medicine, multi-specialty, X-ray and laboratory services, and an on-site pharmacy. Behavioral health services have been expanded in recent years to include inpatient and outpatient recovery services; electroconvulsive therapy, better known by the acronym ECT, as a treatment option for patients with depression; geriatric psychiatry; and child and adolescent psychiatry. Additional services are being discussed based on the community’s needs.

 “Our expert physicians, nurses and medical technicians in our emergency department and throughout the medical center remain committed to providing high-quality care to our patients,” Barbee said.

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