Trauma Care
Immediate Care for Life-Threatening Injuries
When you or someone you love is dealing with a life-threatening injury, there is no time to wait. Contact 911 or your nearest medical center immediately to receive the attentive, emergency care you need. At our facilities, we provide 24-hour trauma care and surgery for adults and children. For more than 20 years, we have been one of New Jersey’s first responders to natural and regional disasters. Our team was one of the major responders on and after September 9/11.
What is Trauma Care?
Trauma care is similar to emergency care, with the main difference being that the immediate survival of the patient is usually at stake. In most cases, you will not need to decide whether or not to visit the trauma center as the hospital emergency team can determine this upon receiving the patient. However, it is worth learning what types of injuries could be considered traumatic so that you can be sure the trauma center closest to you has the technology and resources necessary to provide critical treatment.
Below is a list of trauma center levels and the types of injuries they treat:
- Level V: This is the most basic type of trauma centers. Services here typically include standard trauma diagnoses and stabilization procedures. Standard emergency care is also available.
- Level IV: In this tier, patients can receive advanced life support functions and stabilization as they await transfer to a higher tier trauma center.
- Level III: At level III, trauma centers offer 24-hour emergency care services, including resuscitation, intensive care, and other advanced trauma care procedures.
- Level II: This tier is capable of handling most traumatic medical conditions, including surgery, emergency diagnostics, and critical care services.
- Level I: The most comprehensive level of trauma care. At this level, patients receive dedicated care through every stage of their recovery, from initial diagnosis to the final steps of rehabilitation.
Remember that all lower level trauma centers have protocols for transferring patients to the next tier of care if necessary. If you can reach a lower tier level much faster than you could a higher one, it is strongly advised that you do so. Even a level V trauma care team can provide critical care while facilitating transport to the center best suited to treat the patient.
Our Trauma Care Services
Our health network includes Level II trauma care. Our dedicated team is prepared to provide the critical care you or your loved one needs in the event of a life-threatening accident.
Some injuries commonly treated in trauma centers include:
- Serious burns
- Stab wounds
- Injuries from serious car accidents
- Gunshot wounds
- Head and brain injuries
Whatever kind of medical crisis you’re facing, our skilled medical professionals are ready to help.
Trauma Center Locations
The Level I Trauma Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
One of only three Level I Trauma Centers in New Jersey, the Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital cares for nearly 2,500 trauma patients annually. Clinical faculty conducts research and educates fellows and other health care professionals about the most recent advances in trauma care, and the Center's Injury Prevention Program offers presentations and conferences to educate the community about the importance of a wide range of safety topics.
Port Authority Heroes of September 11 Level II Trauma Center at Jersey City Medical Center
This regional Trauma Center is the state-designated Level II Trauma Center for Hudson County. In addition to its responsibility for the region's growing community neighborhoods and sprawling business districts, the Trauma Center and the hospital's emergency medical service cover the County's waterways, New Jersey Turnpike, Holland and Lincoln Tunnels and Liberty State Park. The Center provides 24-hour trauma surgery for adults and children.
