UNC trauma center faces probation - CHAPEL HILL, NC, Feb. 8, 2000 –

University of North Carolina Hospitals' trauma center is in danger of losing its designation as one of the state's top emergency treatment centers. Supervision and quality control problems have surfaced in the trauma center.

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UNC Hospitals operates one of the few Level 1 trauma centers in the state. The state Emergency Medical Service Advisory Council put the trauma center on probation Tuesday, giving it up to a year to fix its problems. If it doesn't, UNC Hospitals could risk losing its Level One trauma center status.

A panel recommended the action in after a review in December turned up problems. They included inadequate supervision and quality control – and 200 instances over a year when the hospital's helicopter or ambulance was unavailable when needed. "There are things that we found that we know they can do better, and they know they can do better," said Dr. Greg Mears with the EMS Advisory Council. "The end result is going to be citizens getting much better care than they would have otherwise."

The EMS panel cited 200 instances over one year when the hospital's helicopter or ambulance service was not available when needed. Officials said the last review of this kind, in 1995, turned up similar problems. They said those problems either weren't corrected or were only fixed months before the latest review.