HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Level II trauma center received a successful trauma center site survey, securing reaccreditation from the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation. The trauma center has earned consistently successful survey scores from the Foundation for the past six years. Hospitals that pursue trauma center accreditation must comply with extremely stringent standards.
A trauma center provides 24-hour specialized medical services and resources to patients suffering from traumatic injuries. Appropriate treatment by specially trained multidisciplinary staff during a critical window of time has been shown to reduce the likelihood of death and permanent disability to injured patients. Staff may include trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, cardiac surgeons, radiologists and nurses.
Pennsylvania has five levels of trauma centers, with the highest level, Level I, having trauma research and a surgical residency program. The Holy Spirit Medical Center Level II trauma center provides the same multidisciplinary treatment and specialized resources as a Level I, without the research or residency components.
"We have built a strong trauma team,” said Dale Dangleben, chief of surgery, trauma medical director. “At Holy Spirit, it’s about respecting each other, valuing diverse perspectives and working together with unwavering support from administration. We also have created a foundation where excellence in trauma care thrives. The reaccreditation reaffirmed just that.”