Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation provides update on trauma centers

Effective September 4, 2010 there will be 30 accredited trauma centers in Pennsylvania:

Adult Level I Trauma Centers

1. Allentown – Lehigh Valley Hospital
2. Bethlehem - St. Luke's Hospital
3. Danville – Geisinger Medical Center
4. Hershey - The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
5. Johnstown - Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
6. Philadelphia - Albert Einstein Medical Center
7. Philadelphia - Hahnemann University Hospital
8. Philadelphia – Temple University Hospital
9. Philadelphia - Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
10. Philadelphia - The University of Pennsylvania Health System, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
11. Pittsburgh - Allegheny General Hospital
12. Pittsburgh - The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Mercy
13. Pittsburgh - The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Presbyterian

Adult Level II Trauma Centers

1. Abington - Abington Memorial Hospital
2. Altoona - Altoona Hospital
3. Erie - Hamot Medical Center
4. Lancaster - Lancaster General Hospital
5. Langhorne - St. Mary Medical Center
6. Philadelphia - Frankford Hospital, Torresdale Campus
7. Reading - The Reading Hospital and Medical Center
8. Sayre - Robert Packer Hospital
9. Scranton - Community Medical Center
10. Upland - Crozer-Chester Medical Center
11. Wilkes Barre – Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
12. York - York Hospital

Pediatric Level I Trauma Centers

1. Hershey - The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
2. Philadelphia - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
3. Philadelphia - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
4. Pittsburgh - The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Pediatric  Level II Trauma Centers

1. Allentown - Lehigh Valley Hospital
2. Danville - Geisinger Medical Center

Level III Trauma Centers

1. East Stroudsburg - Pocono Medical Center  
2. Seneca – UPMC Northwest

The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) is a non-profit corporation recognized by the Emergency Medical Services Act (Act 1985-45).  The PTSF is the organization responsible for accrediting trauma centers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It has been reviewing and surveying applicant hospitals since May of 1986.  

Trauma centers are hospitals with resources immediately available to provide efficient surgical intervention to reduce the likelihood of death or permanent disability to injured patients.  Accredited trauma centers must be continuously prepared to treat the most serious life threatening and disabling injuries.  They are not intended to replace the traditional hospital and its emergency department for minor injuries.  

In Pennsylvania there are three levels of trauma centers. Level I trauma centers require trauma research, a surgical residency program, and an annual volume of 650 major patients per year.  A level II trauma center meets the same high level of care but does not require the research and residency components, and volume requirements are 350 major trauma patients per year.  Level III trauma centers are smaller community hospitals which do not require a minimum volume of trauma patients.  Their focus is to stabilize severe trauma in preparation for transport to a higher level trauma center as well as care for patients with moderate trauma.  They do not need neurosurgical resources.   Level I and II trauma centers can also be categorized as either Adult Trauma Centers or Pediatric Trauma Centers.

Each trauma center regardless of its level is an integral component of the emergency medical services system.  The EMS system assures appropriate patient care management from the time of injury to treatment at a local hospital and/or trauma center and through the rehabilitative phase of care.