Ascension St. John announces Tulsa's only Level I Trauma Center

Ascension St. John now has the city’s only Level I Trauma Center.

Being a Level I Trauma Center means the hospital has specialists available 24 hours a day to deal with traumatic injuries in this half of the state.

St. John says this is something they’ve been working on for several years, and will be a game-changer for people who need serious, high-level care in this region.

WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF A TRAUMA CENTER?

The American College of Surgeons defines three levels of trauma centers.

Level I is set up to deal with the most extensive injuries.

Level I: “Level I trauma centers must be capable of providing system leadership and comprehensive trauma care for all injuries. In its central role, a Level I trauma center must have adequate depth of resources and personnel. Most Level I trauma centers are university-based teaching hospitals due to the resources required for patient care, education, and research. In addition to providing acute trauma care, these centers have an important role in local trauma system development, regional disaster planning, increasing capacity, and advancing trauma care through research.”

Level II: “Level II trauma centers are expected to provide initial definitive trauma care for a wide range of injuries and injury severity and may take on additional responsibilities in the region related to education, system leadership, and disaster planning.”

Level III: “Level III trauma centers typically serve communities that may not have timely access to a Level I or II trauma center and fulfill a critical role in much of the United States by serving more remote and/or rural populations. Level III trauma centers provide definitive care to patients with mild to moderate injuries, allowing patients to be cared for closer to home. These centers also have processes in place for the prompt evaluation, initial management, and transfer of patients whose needs might exceed the resources available.”

LEVEL I TRAUMA IN TULSA

Having a Level I Trauma Center means people can get treated in Tulsa instead of having to be flown to Oklahoma City.

"Seconds matter,” said Bo Beaudry, the CEO of Ascension St. John. “Having a Level I Trauma Center right here in Tulsa serving all of eastern Oklahoma and southern Kansas is just incredibly huge for the care of our community and the care of our patients."

It also gives people the chance to stay close to home while receiving necessary care.

"It's not just great for the patient who's receiving care immediately, but their families,” said Beaudry. “It's easy access for them as well, to be there at the bedside and care for them in such a vulnerable moment."

BUILDING UP STAFF

Beaudry says this is an announcement Ascension St. John has been preparing for for years.

The hospital has been a Level II Trauma Center since 2009.

"Over the last two years, this journey is that we've been adding physicians, we've been adding nurses, we've been opening up capacity in our hospital so that we can serve quickly and effectively our Tulsa community and all of eastern Oklahoma,” said Beaudry.

SAINT FRANCIS HEALTH SYSTEM STATEMENT:

Saint Francis Health System sent News On 6 the following statement about the announcement:

“Saint Francis Health System congratulates Ascension St. John on the milestone of achieving Level I Trauma designation. We are proud to see trauma care expanding in our community. As Tulsa grows, access to multiple Level I Trauma Centers is not only possible—it’s necessary. Saint Francis Hospital is nearing the final stages of its own journey to Level I, reinforcing our legacy of advanced, life-saving care in the region.”

MORE INFORMATION

For a list of ACS accredited centers visit: https://www.facs.org/find-an-accredited-education-institute/?searchTerm=&institution=VerifiedTraumaCenter&address=&sort=relevance&page=2

For more information on the verification process visit:

https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/trauma/quality/verification-review-and-consultation-program/about-vrc/