Region’s Only Trauma Center Marks 20 Years of Service

Sept. 1, 2001 — an important date in the history of health care in northwest Pennsylvania.

On this date, Hamot Medical Center launched the only designated Level II adult Trauma Center in the region, offering the highest quality of care for patients who have met with serious or critical bodily injury of a life-threatening nature.

Twenty years later, the UPMC Hamot Trauma Center remains the undisputed leader in regional trauma care with patient volumes reaching 2,100 annually. Patients are transferred in from Erie community hospitals and from as far away as Kane.

Erie County is undoubtedly fortunate to be home to a Level II adult Trauma Center, one of only 14 throughout all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. Patients in these accredited trauma centers experience established standards of trauma care in treatment and the assurance of a thoroughly prepared trauma team.

The complexities of trauma care are staggering, demanding extraordinary commitment from a 24/7 multidisciplinary team of medical professionals. Surgeons, nurses, and advanced practice providers — all specially trained in trauma — are just the beginning. EMS providers, emergency specialists, neurosurgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, and rehabilitation specialists add to the treatment mix and form a full spectrum of comprehensive trauma care. The trauma center at UPMC Hamot is also part of the greater UPMC Trauma System, benefitting from the integration of additional services.

Trauma center commitment to the community runs deep and is not limited to inpatient care. Injury prevention is a priority as well. Safety education programs are developed for the public, including a recent bike helmet giveaway.

Gregory Beard, DO, medical director of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at UPMC Hamot, reflects on the impact of the trauma center’s 20-year milestone.

“The community impact of UPMC Hamot’s fully accredited trauma center cannot be overstated. This program has shown a deep commitment to caring for our region with a level of expertise that is unparalleled. Our entire team, indeed, our entire hospital, is focused on superior quality and efficiency in caring for critically injured patients. UPMC Hamot's reputation as a source of expert trauma care throughout the northwest Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio communities we serve has fostered UPMC Hamot's reputation as the leading destination for both primary and specialty health care. I am proud of this team and institution and look forward to our trauma center's continued growth as a community asset with national recognition for excellence.”