NEW BEDFORD – The Southcoast Health Trauma Center at St. Luke’s Hospital has again earned verification from the American College of Surgeons and designation from the Mass. Department of Public Health as a Level II Adult Trauma Center.
“Establishing a trauma center is a significant investment in the community,” said Dr. Michael Grossman, medical director of trauma and acute care surgery at Southcoast Health. “When an organization commits to maintaining a high-level trauma program, it’s a reflection of its ongoing dedication to provide advanced emergency care and comprehensive services to everyone in the area.”
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A Level II Trauma Center is ready to see any kind of trauma patient 24 hours a day with immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as care from orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care specialists. Unlike Level I centers, Level II centers do not have to conduct research or have surgical residency programs.
“As a not-for-profit community health system, our decisions are always guided by the needs of our patients and community. That’s why we established a trauma center to ensure these lifesaving services were available for everyone in our region,” said David O. McCready, CEO and president of Southcoast Health. “I am grateful for the outstanding dedication of our providers, nurses and staff, and additionally want to thank our wonderful EMS [emergency medical services] partners who are always ready and willing to help. In a traumatic event, the EMS teams are the first ones to respond, providing excellent care and stabilizing patients for transport to the hospital. This process truly relies on everyone working together and we greatly appreciate the support of these exceptional first responders.”
Southcoast Health began working on creating a trauma center in 2019. In 2021, it officially earned designation from the American College of Surgeons and the Mass. Department of Public Health as the first and only Level II Trauma Center in Massachusetts Emergency Medical Services Region 5.
The trauma center has continued to grow and recently added two more trauma beds in the emergency room at St. Luke’s Hospital and opened an outpatient trauma clinic. The center’s team has now cared for more than 8,500 patients and treats about 2,000 patients each year.
“We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of medical professionals within our response area to provide high-level trauma care to our patients and treat our providers with professionalism and respect in some very stressful situations,” said Bethann Faunce, interim chief of Fall River Emergency Medical Services. “The Southcoast Health Trauma Center is a great asset to our patients.”
The trauma center team works with community partners to provide training and education. The staff also participates in regular educational sessions and disaster drills.
“In our area, we are fortunate to have strong relationships and outstanding support from our local emergency medical service partners. These dedicated teams play a critical role in the trauma response and we could not do this work without them,” said Jacquelyn Miller, trauma program manager at Southcoast Health. “The central location of St. Luke’s also helps EMS get patients the trauma care they need faster while keeping these essential resources in our community.”
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.
