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Life is unpredictable and injuries
can occur when least expected.
In the case of an emergency, getting the right help in time can be critical to recovery. Where can people turn?
Emergency rooms handle many injuries and conditions, but ER services are not always enough. Depending on the severity of the injuries, emergency medical service (EMS) professionals may recommend transporting a patient to a trauma center.
Hospital trauma centers have specialized personnel and resources immediately available to provide medical and surgical intervention to reduce the likelihood of death or permanent disability. Trauma centers are prepared 24/7 to treat the most serious life-threatening and disabling injuries.
By law, EMS must transport patients to the nearest appropriate trauma center. Because Chester County doesn’t have a trauma center, some individuals and families needing these services must travel farther distances for treatment. Victims treated within 60 minutes of injury are more likely to survive, recover faster and have fewer long-term effects. But on average, it takes 70 to 75 minutes from the time of a Chester County resident’s injury for them to be admitted into a trauma center.
Geographically, the closest trauma centers to Chester County are:
- Lancaster General Hospital
- The Reading Hospital and Medical Center
- The Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania
- Abington Memorial Hospital
- Christiana Hospital
- Crozer-Chester Medical Center
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