Lancaster General Hospital earns Level I trauma reaccreditation

The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) has re-accredited Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital as a Level I Trauma Center—the highest level of Trauma Center accreditation in Pennsylvania. Lancaster General Hospital is the only Level I trauma center in Lancaster County and one of 18 in Pennsylvania, including Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

The PTSF grants accreditation to Pennsylvania trauma centers at four levels. Level I trauma centers provide the highest degree of resources, offering a full spectrum of medical specialists, as well as trauma research and surgical residency programs.

Lancaster General Hospital is one of the busiest trauma centers in its region, seeing approximately 3000 trauma cases a year. Trauma centers offer 24-hour availability of a team of specially trained health-care providers with expertise in the care of severely injured patients. Traumatic injuries commonly occur as the result of falls, motor vehicle accidents and assaults.

Providing high-level trauma care requires a team approach involving departments throughout the hospital. Trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, cardiac surgeons, radiologists and nurses all have specialized training and expertise.

In addition to having a trauma surgeon in the hospital 24 hours a day, an operating room readiness team is on standby around the clock. Lancaster General Hospital’s trauma operating room is dedicated solely to trauma patients and is equipped with the most advanced tools for delivering high-quality emergency care the moment it is needed.