Level One Trauma Center

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What makes a level 1 trauma center?

Level I trauma centers, such as the one at Legacy Emanuel, are regulated by the state of Oregon, to provide “the highest level of definitive, comprehensive care for the severely injured adult and pediatric patient with complex, multi-system trauma,” according to the state’s guidelines.

Below are the standards for a Level 1 Trauma Center:

  • A Level I facility is the regional resource trauma center in the system and has the capability of providing total patient care for every aspect of injury from prevention through rehabilitation.
  • Highly specialized care for pediatric trauma, burns, spinal cord injury, eye injury, limb re-implantation and other clinical problems is available at the Level I center.
  • An emergency physician, general surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nursing and ancillary personnel who can initiate immediate surgery are in-house and available to the patient on arrival to the emergency department.
  • A neurosurgeon is on-call and promptly available to the patient.
  • A broad range of sub-specialists are on-call and promptly available to provide consultation or care.
  • In addition to direct patient care, Level I trauma centers are responsible for resident training, research, regional quality improvement, community education, outreach and injury prevention.

Comprehensive team

We provide a multi-disciplinary care team for trauma patients. The team designs care plans, discusses major medical or treatment issues, outline goals, confers with the family and plans for the patient's discharge. Teams might include:

  • Trauma Surgeons
  • Trauma Advanced Practice Providers
  • Resident Staff
  • Consulting Physicians
  • Spiritual counselors
  • Rehabilitation Admission Coordinator
  • Trauma Resuscitation Nurses
  • Care Managers and Social Work
  • Physical Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Speech Language Pathologist
  • Registered Dietician
  • Palliative Care Team
  • Respiratory Therapists
  • Pharmacists