Fact Sheet: Facts About Pennsylvania's Trauma Centers

Fact Sheet: Facts About Pennsylvania's Trauma Centers

Pennsylvania's 52 trauma centers¹ work around the clock to stabilize and treat critical injuries. Level I and II centers feature specially trained health care provider teams (e.g., trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, cardiac surgeons, radiologists, and nurses) with expertise in caring for severely injured patients. Level III and IV centers identify and stabilize life-threatening injuries, then quickly transfer patients to higher-level centers. Their patients suffer from life-threatening injuries, often because of falls, motor vehicle crashes, burns, gunshot wounds or assaults².

Combined Adult Level 1 /Pediatric Level I Trauma Centers

1. Hershey - PennState Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/PennState Health Children's Hospital

Combined Adult Level 1/Pediatric Level II Trauma Centers

2. Allentown - Lehigh Valley Health Network - Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest/Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital
3. Danville - Geisinger Medical Center/Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital

Adult Level I Trauma Centers

4. Bethlehem - St. Luke's University Health Network - St. Luke's University Hospital
5. Johnstown - Conemaugh Health System - Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
6. Lancaster - Penn Medicine - Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
7. Philadelphia - Jefferson Health - Jefferson Einstein Hospital
8. Philadelphia - Jefferson Health - Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
9. Philadelphia - Penn Medicine - Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
10. Philadelphia - Temple Health - Temple University Hospital
11. Pittsburgh - Allegheny Health Network - AHN Allegheny General Hospital
12. Pittsburgh - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - UPMC Mercy
13. Pittsburgh - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - UPMC Presbyterian
14. Sayre - Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital
15. West Reading - Tower Health - Reading Hospital
16. Wilkes-Barre - Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
17. York - WellSpan Health - WellSpan York Hospital

Pediatric Level I Trauma Centers

18. Philadelphia - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
19. Philadelphia - Tower Health - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
20. Pittsburgh - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Adult Level II Trauma Centers

21. Abington - Jefferson Health - Jefferson Abington Hospital
22. Bethlehem - Lehigh Valley Health Network - Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg
23. Camp Hill - PennState Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
24. DuBois - Penn Highlands DuBois - Penn Highlands Healthcare
25. Easton - St. Luke's University Health Network - St. Luke's Hospital Anderson Campus
26. Erie - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - UPMC Hamot
27. Langhorne - Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic - St. Mary Medical Center
28. Monroeville - Allegheny Health Network - AHN Forbes
29. Paoli - Main Line Health - Paoli Hospital
30. Philadelphia - Jefferson Health - Jefferson Torresdale Hospital
31. Scranton - Geisinger Community Medical Center
32. Sellersville - Grand View Health - Grand View Health
33. Williamsport - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - UPMC Williamsport
34. Wynnewood - Main Line Health - Lankenau Medical Center

Level III Trauma Centers

35. Altoona - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - UPMC Altoona
36. East Stroudsburg - Lehigh Valley Health Network - Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono

Level IV Trauma Centers

37. Coaldale - St. Luke's University Health Network - St. Luke's Hospital - Miners Campus
38. Easton - Lehigh Valley Health Network - Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hecktown Oaks
39. Grove City - Allegheny Health Network - AHN Grove City
40. Hastings - Conemaugh Health System - Conemaugh Miners Medical Center
41. Hazleton - Lehigh Valley Health Network - Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton 42. Honesdale - Wayne Memorial Hospital
43. Jersey Shore - Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital
44. Lehighton - St. Luke's University Health Network - St. Luke's-Carbon Campus
45. Lewistown - Geisinger Lewistown Hospital
46. McConnellsburg - Fulton County Medical Center
47. Orwigsburg - St. Luke's University Health Network - Geisinger St. Luke's Hospital
48. Pottsville - Lehigh Valley Health Network - Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill
49. Quakertown - St. Luke's University Health Network - St. Luke's Hospital-Upper Bucks Campus
50. Roaring Springs -Conemaugh Health System - Conemaugh Nason Medical Center 51. Stroudsburg - St. Luke's University Health Network - St. Luke's Hospital-Monroe Campus
52. Troy - Guthrie Troy Community Hospital

Trauma Center Statistics Tell a Story of Success

• Between 1985 and 2020, 1,020,679 patients have been treated in Pennsylvania trauma centers, with a statewide average of more than 40,000 trauma patients treated each year since 2006³
• During 2020, more than 95 percent of Pennsylvania's trauma patients survived their hospitalization. In total that year, the commonwealth's accredited trauma centers saved 47,507 lives⁴
• A national study shows that poor access to trauma centers is associated with more pre-hospital deaths, which may lead to higher overall injury mortality rate. The study revealed that the current trauma center infrastructure of Pennsylvania allowed the commonwealth to perform better than the national average on the ratio of pre-hospital to in-hospital death, despite having a higher rural population rate than an average state⁵

Financial Perspective on Trauma Care

• During 2023, 23 percent of all Pennsylvania trauma centers cases were covered by Medicaid or were self-pay as a primary or secondary payor; 60 percent were covered by Medicare and/or Medicaid as a primary or secondary payor⁶
• Trauma centers have higher levels of uncompensated care than other hospitals-during 2023, they contributed 57 percent of all hospital uncompensated care costs⁷
• A national study found the benefits of trauma center care-as measured by lives saved, improved quality of life, and years gained-outweigh the costs, particularly for the most severely injured patients.⁸ Care at a trauma center is associated with lower mortality rates, decreased readmission rates-even when controlling for severity of injury and, research suggests, improved long-term outcomes⁹

Quality Improvement Efforts

• Under state law, the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) is the accrediting body and develops standards based on the American College of Surgeons guidelines for trauma centers to assure quality patient care for trauma patients. The Foundation also surveys trauma centers, assures regulatory compliance by accredited trauma centers, and promotes optimal outcomes for all trauma patients in Pennsylvania
• The Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study, a registry to which all centers must contribute data to maintain certification, is paving the way for quality improvement in the commonwealth's trauma centers by implementing benchmarking methodology enabling risk-adjusted models for statewide trauma systems¹⁰
• Growth of Level IV trauma centers: Level IV trauma centers provide initial care and stabilization of traumatic injury while arranging transfer to a higher level of trauma care. The PTSF accredited Pennsylvania's first Level IV trauma center during 2013.¹¹ Effective April 23, 2025, sixteen Level IV trauma centers are operating in the commonwealth¹²
• In 2004, the state passed the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Stabilization Act to provide financial support to hospitals accredited as trauma centers by the PTSF. The funding helps improve access to specialty services and enhance the quality of care by providing training programs, community education, and facility improvements.¹³

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¹ Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), Press Release - Trauma Center Accreditation Granted to Four Additional Hospitals in Pennsylvania. Issued 09/20/2021. Last Accessed: 04/25/2025.
² Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), What is a Trauma Center? Last accessed 04/25/2025.
³ Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), Enhancing the Commonwealth's Trauma System: 2019 Annual Report. Last accessed: 04/25/2025. This data is based on the latest version of the annual reports published by The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF).
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Hashmi ZG, Jarman MP, Uribe-Leitz T, Goralnick E, Newgard CD, Salim A, Cornwell E 3rd, Haider AH. Access Delayed Is Access Denied: Relationship Between Access to Trauma Center Care and Pre-Hospital Death. J Am Coll Surg. 2019 Jan;228(1):9-20. Last accessed: 04/25/2025.
⁶ Based on HAP's July 2025 analysis of 2023 Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) Inpatient Discharge Claims Data.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ MacKenzie, EJ.; Weir, et al. The Value of Trauma Center Care. Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care. 69(1):1-10, July 2010. Last accessed 04/25/2025.
⁹ Staudenmayer K, Weiser TG, Maggio PM, Spain DA, Hsia RY. Trauma center care is associated with reduced readmissions after injury. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. 2016; 80(3):412-418. Last accessed 04/25/2025.
¹⁰Wiebe DJ, Holena DN, Delgado MK, McWilliams N, Altenburg J, Carr BG. The Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study Risk-Adjusted Mortality Model: Results of a Statewide Benchmarking Program. Am Surg. 2017;83(5):445-452. Last accessed 04/25/2025.
¹¹ PRNewswire.com, First Level IV Trauma Center to be Accredited in Pennsylvania November 1, 2013. Source of the news: PTSF. Last accessed: 04/25/2025.
¹² Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), Current Status of Accredited Trauma Centers in Pennsylvania. Issued 04/23/2025. Last Accessed: 04/25/2025.
¹³ Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Stabilization Act, Annual Report Fiscal Year 2019-2020. July 2021. Last accessed 04/25/2025.

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Topics: Access to Care, Emergency Preparedness, State Advocacy

Revision Date: 5/2/2025

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