CONNECTICUT TRAUMA CENTERS

Following are the thirteen Connecticut trauma centers that have voluntarily participated in the ACS process and successfully met the established criteria to become an ACS-verified trauma center listed on the ACS website. The following excerpts are taken directly from the hospital's website. Take a moment to read how each hospital describes its ED services so you can make informed choices for you and your family.

1. Bridgeport Hospital, Inc. Emergency Services & The Children's Emergency Center provides the highest level of emergency medical care available in Fairfield County. A state-designated regional Trauma Center and the site of Connecticut's only Burn Center, the hospital receives more than 66,000 emergency visits each year. Bridgeport Hospital also has its own air-ambulance helipad for the rapid transport of traumatically injured patients, and is part of southern Connecticut's only state-designated regional center for emergency preparedness and disaster response. Bridgeport Hospital's special Emergency Department services include: The Chest Pain Center for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of heart attacks and Fairfield County's only dedicated Children's Emergency Center. Patients receive care from an experienced team of emergency physicians, nurses, technicians and other healthcare professionals. Employing the latest techniques and technology, Bridgeport Hospital works closely with the area's ambulance services to ensure the best possible care, beginning even before patients arrive at the hospital. For example, state-of-the-art technology allows ambulance crews to transmit electrocardiograms directly from the field so Emergency Department physicians and cardiologists can interpret them and plan the appropriate treatment, as well as a new decontamination area and a new Emergency Department-based CT scanner to reduce wait times for diagnostic exams.
⇒ Bridgeport Hospital

2. Connecticut Children's Medical Center. The Emergency Department is staffed 24 hours a day by board certified attending physicians who are always available for consultation via our physician referral line. In addition, the attending physicians provide ongoing medical command for the ground pediatric transport team. The staff of the Emergency Department is available to provide further education concerning the capabilities of the Emergency Department as well as lectures on a variety of topics in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Several new areas within the ED have been created including a Short-Stay Observation Unit, and the Minor Trauma and Discharge Area. Additionally, electronic medical records provide easier access to patient information, and digital radiology minimizes patient moves and wait times.
⇒ Connecticut Children's Medical Center

3. The Danbury Hospital. J. Benton Egee, MD, Emergency Department provides 24-hour Emergency Care and is a Level II Trauma Center.
⇒ The Danbury Hospital

4. Hartford Hospital. Expert Care When You Need It Most. Our Emergency Department is one of the best in New England. A trip to the Emergency Department can be confusing and even frightening - especially if it's the first time. Hartford Hospital's Emergency Department is one of the best in New England, staffed with speciallytrained physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, emergency nurses, assistants and technicians. We treat over 80,000 adult patients per year with conditions ranging from major trauma, heart attacks and stroke to minor illness that could be treated in a doctor's office. Patients come to us by all means of transportation ranging from their own automobiles to ambulances, including Hartford Hospital's LIFE STAR helicopter. We admit over 17,000 patients to the hospital. We are accredited as a Level I Trauma Center, a Stroke Center and a Chest Pain Center. We are the main clinical site of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine's Emergency Medicine Residency and are active in the training of PA/NP's and nurses.
⇒ Hartford Hospital

5. Hospital of Saint Raphael. 24 hour, 7 day per week emergency services. The Emergency Department/Trauma Center at the Hospital of Saint Raphael offers the most sophisticated and convenient care available including a Fast Track treatment and waiting area for less serious cases, as well as a play area for children. Certified by the State of Connecticut as a level Two Trauma Center, signifying it has the equipment, staff and resources needed to provide high levels of sophisticated trauma care, the Saint Raphael Emergency Department is only one of 11 trauma centers in the state. We treat over 55,000 people each year, including patients with life-threatening injuries such as head and neck injuries, typically from motor vehicle accidents; spinal cord injuries; third-degree burns; and gunshot wounds. In addition, we specialize in
-Rapid assessments of patients with stroke symptoms as well as the latest in stroke care including clot-busting agents
-Rapid assessments of cardiac disease and trauma * Expert treatment for patients of all ages, from children to older adults
-Highly trained and skilled medical staff, including board-certified emergency physicians, surgeons, surgical sub-specialists, PA's, nurses, anesthesiologists and radiologists committed to caring for traumatically injured
-All nurses are certified in advanced cardiac life support and many are traumanurse certified and/or are pediatric advanced life support certified as well as disaster and Hazmat management certified.
⇒ Hospital of Saint Raphael

6. Norwalk Hospital. You can't plan when illness or accidents occur, but when they do, you want to be assured you're given the best care possible. Norwalk Hospital's Emergency Department provides you with exceptional emergency medical care - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From the moment you require attention, we are ready to provide you with a combination of expert evaluation, compassionate understanding and efficient treatment, designed to get you cared for and in a comfortable room quickly. Our ambulance service is staffed by the hospital's own paramedic teams (the only one in Connecticut!). Our emergency room is one of the few in Connecticut staffed entirely by Board-certified physicians and nurses trained specifically in emergency nursing. Whether it's a condition requiring major medical intervention, or something less severe, you and your loved ones can be assured that we are ready to deal with any medical emergency, any time.
⇒ Norwalk Hospital

7. Saint Mary's Hospital, Inc. "Superior Trauma Care" The Level II Trauma Center at Saint Mary's Hospital has been providing continuous, advanced emergency care for trauma victims since 1995. Recently, this life-saving program was re-verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, which commended Saint Mary's for providing "superior trauma care." This distinction means that Saint Mary's is continuing to meet national criteria that assure its trauma care capabilities. It is currently the only ACS-verified trauma center in Waterbury. "We are very pleased that the American College of Surgeons has recognized Saint Mary's commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care," said Dr. Peter Jacoby, chairman of Saint Mary's Department of Emergency Services. "This is an indication that Saint Mary's possesses the resources necessary to care for patients from the moment they present with any type of traumatic injury, and offers the entire spectrum of care to address their needs during their hospital stay and rehabilitation." On call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Saint Mary's trauma team is directed by Dr. Michael Ajemian, who is board certified in general surgery, trauma and critical care. "In addition to our talented team of physicians and surgeons, essential components of the trauma team are the departments of surgery and emergency medicine, nursing services and the ancillary support departments at Saint Mary's," said Sheila Staib, RN, trauma program manager. "We are a team that encompasses all aspects of operational support committed to providing our trauma patients with exceptional care."
⇒ Saint Mary's Hospital, Inc.

8. St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The Saint Francis Care Emergency Department strives to deliver state-of-the-art medical treatment to patients seeking care for life or limb threatening conditions. Over 69,000 patients are cared for every year at our main campus, where board-certified emergency specialists and consultants from every medical specialty are available. Saint Francis has made a very significant investment in the upgrading of its emergency care capabilities, a medical field that has experienced dramatic growth during the last decade. Significant technological developments have made it possible to concentrate the efforts of physicians, nurses and support staff to allow efficient evaluation and treatment of all emergency patients. In addition to these staffing and technological investments, Saint Francis has remodeled and expanded its Emergency/Trauma Center to ensure that patients and staff interact in the best possible environment. We specialize in cardiac emergencies, respiratory emergencies, infectious diseases, and trauma care.
⇒ St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center

9. St. Vincent's Medical Center. Emergency Services. More people than ever nationally are seeking the services of local emergency departments, and they are bursting at the seams. On the national level, emergency room visits have grown more than 25% in the last 15 years. In the same period, the number of emergency rooms nationally decreased by approximately 15%. Overcrowding has become an epidemic. More than 80% of the nation's emergency departments report they are at or over operating capacity. Combine these realities with a 3 to 4% annual growth in emergency room visitation at St. Vincent's over the last 10 years, and the lack of department expansion during this period, and it is clear that changes are necessary. For more detailed information about the changes and improvements to the St. Vincent's designated Level II Trauma Center, visit the website.
⇒ St. Vincent's Medical Center

10. Stamford Hospital. [No text for ED provided on the Stamford Hospital website]
⇒ Stamford Hospital

11. Waterbury Hospital. The Emergency Department cares for 170 people every day with a broad spectrum of illnesses. An introductory ED brochure is available in PDF format on line:
⇒ Waterbury Hospital

12. William W. Backus Hospital. Backus Hospital's Emergency Department is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week providing comprehensive emergency medical treatment. The department provides care for more than 55,000 patients each year, and has recently been expanded and completely renovated. The department is fully staffed with physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, as well as a staff of nurses and technicians specializing in emergency medicine, trauma, and critical care. All physicians are Board Certified in Emergency Medicine, and two of whom have additional Board certifications in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. The department has 42 beds, including nine beds in the Convenient Care area of the department. The Emergency Department works in collaboration with emergency services such as LifeStar, trauma surgeons and nurses, various emergency transport companies throughout eastern Connecticut, and the diagnostic and testing laboratories and departments throughout the hospital to provide its patients with the most comprehensive medical treatment possible. This site also provides a downloadable brochure entitled, "What To Expect in the Emergency Department."
⇒ William W. Backus Hospital

13. Yale-New Haven Hospital, Inc. 24 hour emergency services. Yale-New Haven is a Level I trauma facility, one of six in the state of Connecticut. Level I facilities are equipped to provide the highest level of care, delivered by expert medical and nursing staffs in the Emergency Department, operating rooms and intensive care units. A helipad located on the roof of the Children's Hospital can accommodate two helicopters and provides quick access to trauma services.
⇒ Yale-New Haven Hospital, Inc.