The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) has designated nine U.S. veterinary hospitals and clinics as Veterinary Trauma Centers.

The trauma centers will collaborate to define high standards of care and disseminate information that improves trauma patient management efficiencies and outcomes. Similar to human trauma centers, the veterinary trauma centers will also provide leadership in education and research, according to a news release from Cummings school of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

The effort by ACVECC to create a network of trauma centers is key to helping more animals survive in the event of a trauma-related injuries, said Dr. Armelle de Laforcade, a board-certified emergency and critical care veterinarian at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts and executive secretary of ACVECC.

"This new designation creates a standard of care in veterinary medicine that didn't previously exist and provides pet owners with important information in the event of a trauma-related emergency," she said. "Receiving care at a certified trauma center with the necessary resources in place may help improve survival rates for the most severely traumatized patient."

The nine hospitals and clinics that have been designated Veterinary Trauma Centers so far include:

• Southern California Veterinary Specialty Hospital (Irvine, California)
• VCA West Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
• BluePearl Veterinary Partners – Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
• University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital (Urbana, Illinois)
• Tufts Foster Hospital for Small Animals at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (North Grafton, Massachusetts)
• University of Minnesota – Veterinary Medical Center (St. Paul, Minnesota)
• North Carolina State University – College of Veterinary Medicine (Raleigh, North Carolina)
• Oradell Animal Hospital (Paramus, New Jersey)
• University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

 To be considered for the Veterinary Trauma Center designation, emergency care providers must:

• Have a 24/7 capability to provide total care for every aspect of management of the small animal trauma patient, from emergency stabilization through definitive medical and surgical care, and rehabilitation.
• Offer the availability of board-certified specialists for consultation seven days a week in the fields of emergency and critical care, surgery, and radiology.

The Veterinary Trauma Centers will work with an ACVECC Veterinary Committee on Trauma subcommittee during the first year to ensure that all guidelines and requirements are being met.