Trauma/Emergency Medicine

St. Luke's Hospital supports both a 24-hour Emergency Department capable of handling medical and injury emergencies of all kinds and a 24-hour Level I regional resource trauma center that is accredited by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) and able to respond at a moment's notice to any and all types of life-threatening injury.

St. Luke's Emergency Department and Regional Resource Trauma Center work in partnership with our region's emergency medical services, our first line of defense against injury and disease.  It is vitally important to quality patient care that we work together for the safety of the community.

What is Trauma?

In most cases, trauma describes life- or limb-threatening injuries or wounds. Traumatic injuries may occur as the result of motor vehicle crashes, sports accidents, falls, assaults and accidents at home or work. They take the form of open cuts, blunt injuries, broken bones and internal injuries.

Although many injuries can be treated in the nearest hospital’s emergency department -- which is staffed by board-certified emergency physicians and specially trained registered nurses and ancillary personnel -- life-threatening traumatic injuries require the specialized, focused care available only at an accredited trauma center.

What is a Trauma Center?

The term “trauma center” describes a hospital that is capable of providing rapid evaluation and highly specialized treatment for patients with life- or limb-threatening injuries — from arrival in the emergency department to discharge. When a trauma center is alerted that an accident has occurred and a seriously injured patient is on the way, medical personnel from throughout the hospital are immediately mobilized, support services are informed and highly specialized equipment is readied.

Not all Hospitals are Trauma Centers

Not all hospitals are trauma centers, and not every emergency department can handle every emergency. St. Luke’s Hospital, in fact, is one of only 27 trauma centers in Pennsylvania approved and accredited by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF).

St. Luke’s Regional Resource Trauma Center is specifically designed to treat the most seriously injured patients 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Our specially trained and qualified multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and technicians are on-call and prepared to respond at a moment’s notice. Dedicated, state-of-the-art trauma resuscitation bays, operating rooms, radiology and CT facilities are ready, waiting and immediately available — St. Luke’s Regional Resource Trauma Center maintains a priority response level around the clock.