Acute Care Surgery, a service line of the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, was recognized as one of UAB Medicine's top ten service lines for timely and effective consults, according to results from the 2025 hospital-wide Consult Optimization Survey.
The division earned the distinction through a staff election compiled by the chief medical officer's Consult Optimization Committee (CMO) and recognizes the consistent delivery of responsive consultant input. Those selected for the honor were evaluated based on their ability to provide timely contributions that facilitate critical decisions regarding patient diagnosis, treatment, and discharge.
Acute care surgery encompasses trauma surgery, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care.
Example of cases include:
- Traumatic blunt or penetrating injuries from accidents
- Appendicitis/Cholecystitis
- Perforated viscus
- Intestinal obstruction and/or bleeding
Dr. Jeffrey Kerby, director of the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
The trauma care team comprises 26 faculty and 4 fellows, with at least 2 trauma surgeons on-call and in-house at UAB Hospital at all times.
"This achievement represents the results of significant efforts made by faculty, residents, and staff committed to improving patient care." said Jeffrey D. Kerby, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. "Timely consults are critical to patient outcomes, and I'm proud of our team's commitment to that standard."
This recognition capped a significant 2025 for the division. UAB Hospital was recently reverified as a Level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), remaining the busiest ACS-Level I adult trauma center in Alabama for 26 consecutive years. The division's Wound, Ostomy, and Continence care team also received the 2025 Employer Recognition Award from the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board, a national honor that recognizes institutions demonstrating exemplary support of nursing certification in wound, ostomy, and continence care.