A Full Spectrum of Trauma Care

Premier Health provides the region’s most experienced trauma care for patients with life-threatening injuries.

Our mission of improving the health of the communities we serve goes hand in hand with our commitment to trauma care. With regard to injury, the goal cannot be achieved by just providing acute care, it requires coordinated efforts along the entire continuum of care – from prevention to prehospital treatment at the scene of a critical injury, to hospitalization and rehabilitation.

Our breadth and depth of trauma expertise creates a system of trauma care for patients at Premier Health’s eight emergency centers and five hospitals. Wherever patients arrive for treatment, they can be transported immediately to Premier Health’s network of trauma centers for specialized care if needed.

Our Trauma Centers

Level I Trauma Center

Miami Valley Hospital is the most experienced Level I Trauma Center in the area verified to treat the worst of the worst trauma cases. Miami Valley Hospital far exceeds the number of trauma patients required of a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. With such high patient volumes, the trauma team continually refines trauma care processes and knowledge, resulting in improved care for patients. The comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of all forms of traumatic injury can be managed on any day, at any time at Miami Valley Hospital.

The hospital is equipped to provide patients with direct-to-operating room options for those who need life-saving surgery with no delay, trauma surgeons and emergency medicine physicians in-hospital 24 hours a day, and coordination among our multidisciplinary trauma team.

Miami Valley Hospital trauma specialists train the next generation of trauma surgeons, educate providers at all points of the trauma care continuum, and go into the community to instruct on ways to prevent trauma. As a leader in research, Miami Valley Hospital advances in the field of trauma care with innovative research published in national peer-reviewed journals. Miami Valley Hospital was first verified as a Level I Trauma Center in 1992 and has been re-verified every three years since then, with the most recent ACS site visit in 2019.

Level III Trauma Centers

Our goal is to offer innovative treatment and care to keep patients in the Miami Valley from traveling far from home. In 2021, Upper Valley Medical Center brought trauma care to Miami County residents by earning Level III Trauma Center designation. Miami Valley Hospital South achieved Level III designation in 2019 and Atrium Medical Center’s Level III Trauma Center has provided trauma care since 2004.

Trauma center levels are based on the depth of resources available to treat trauma patients with multi-system injuries, not on the quality of care the patient will receive. Our Level III Trauma Centers provide rapid assessment, resuscitation, initiation of appropriate treatment, stabilization, and ongoing care for all forms of traumatic injury. Each hospital has 24-hour immediate coverage by board certified emergency medicine physicians; 24-hour availability of trauma/general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, anesthesia, and critical care; and an immediate coordinated response from designated trauma teams. Fully equipped resuscitation bays designated as trauma suites feature in-room X-ray capability, laboratory testing, and 24-hour diagnostic imaging and interpretation such as CT and MRI.

Most injured trauma patients can remain at our Level III Trauma Centers from the onset of injury through inpatient care and rehabilitation. All three Level III Trauma Centers have access to numerous surgical specialty services including cardiothoracic, urologic, vascular, orthopedic, and spine to keep our injured patients close to home when possible. If an injured patient requires surgery, our trauma centers are equipped with designated OR suites and multiple procedure rooms to provide emergent surgical intervention.

Our level III trauma programs also provide robust injury prevention and outreach programs, maintain comprehensive quality and performance improvement programs, participate in disaster preparedness, and support the development of trauma systems at the regional, state, and national level.

What Sets Us Apart

Premier Health treats more trauma patients than any other hospital system in the region. Highlights of what makes our program unique include:

Emergency and Trauma Institute

The Emergency and Trauma Institute provides the foundation for a fully integrated care delivery model. This includes caring for patients across the continuum and across the system. The Institute, comprised of physicians and leadership from all trauma centers and emergency departments, focuses on strategies that will improve access, clinical quality, patient experience, operational efficiencies, and reducing the cost of care. Its goal is for patients to sustain a positive outcome regardless of entry point.

Coordination of Care

Premier Health’s trauma teams are in a constant state of readiness to treat all traumas, from minor to severe. All our trauma center ORs are fully equipped and staffed 24/7. If a patient’s injuries require the specialized skills of surgical specialists not readily available, the well-coordinated continuum of care allows for immediate transfer from our Level III Trauma Centers and emergency centers to Miami Valley Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center via CareFlight. Specialists include vascular, cardiothoracic, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, microvascular hand surgeons, and additional specialty services.

Regional Adult Burn Center

As the only adult burn center in Dayton, the Miami Valley Hospital Regional Adult Burn Center is a 10-bed dedicated unit that provides intensive treatment and continuous specialized care for burn and wound patients from admission to discharge by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. Miami Valley Hospital also has a same day burn clinic who care for burn patients who do not require hospitalization.

CareFlight Air and Mobile

CareFlight provides the fastest air medical transport in the region for patients with serious conditions including cardiac, surgical, obstetric, pediatric, and other critical care needs. The CareFlight team of more than 100 people are dedicated to the health and safety of those who need immediate medical care and swift transport. Our program serves more than 450 agencies in 17 counties. CareFlight includes four helicopters that are capable traveling up to 180 mph and can transport two patients, plus the pilot and two certified flight nurses, as well as a fleet of five ground Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICU) serving patients in a 75-mile radius from Miami Valley Hospital.

Physician Scene Response

Physician Scene Response (PSR) utilizes a two-tiered approach: Tier one involves a life or limb scenario in which a field amputation may be warranted. Tier two is a mass causality incident that would benefit from a physician response, especially if the incident is large and or there is a delay in transport. Activation of the PSR team is made through the CareFlight Communication Center. The center coordinates the response of a Miami Valley Hospital Level I trauma surgeon and an emergency medicine physician and arranges to fly the team, as well as blood products and necessary supplies, to the scene.

Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Patients who are critically ill are cared for in the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU) at Miami Valley Hospital. The surgical ICU, which has one of the highest acuities in the area, provides quality, safe care from our multidisciplinary teams, which are trained in the care of critically ill patients and neuro-trauma. The more than 40 beds in this unit are designed for patients with multiple complex injuries including spinal cord injuries, broken ribs, head trauma, and penetrating injuries.

Trauma Unit

Miami Valley Hospital’s 39-bed Advanced Care Trauma Unit provides intensive care patients, who have improved, the opportunity to continue their recovery in the hospital. Its purpose is to improve outcomes and ensure advanced, consistent care for trauma patients with complex injuries. The unit helps patients begin their disposition on what happens next on their road to recovery.

Rehabilitation

To gain strength, relearn skills, and manage pain, many patients continue their rehabilitation journey at Atrium Medical Center, Upper Valley Medical Center and The Rehabilitation Institute of Ohio, a joint venture between Premier Health and Encompass Health. Patients receive rehabilitation from specially trained, board-certified physicians and other health care professionals.

Trauma Outpatient Clinic

Once trauma patients are discharged from the hospital, they are referred to the Trauma Outpatient Clinic for follow-up care from trauma specialists who oversee their ongoing recovery. An advanced practice provider and a registered nurse work with trauma surgeons to manage a patient’s progress, wounds, and any acute pain. The clinic also coordinates any ongoing outpatient therapy, medical imaging, laboratory tests, and successful completion of FMLA, BWC or insurance paperwork.

Relationship with Military/WPAFB

Through a partnership with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine, Air Force residents and surgeons work alongside attending physicians at Miami Valley Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center. This unique experience educates Air Force residents and surgeons in a real-world setting. This opportunity also helps service members maintain their trauma and emergency skills, so when they’re deployed, they are equipped with the abilities needed to render aid on the battlefield.

When severe injuries occur, Premier Health provides complete trauma care with the goal of returning patients to their everyday lives.

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If you or a loved one needs emergency or trauma care, our teams of specially trained doctors and nurses are here to help. At Premier Heath, we quickly assess your condition and provide the care and treatment you need.

You can access emergency services at the following locations: