Trauma Care
Atrium Health has the area’s only Level I trauma center – Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. That means we provide the highest level of comprehensive care for critically injured patients, and are prepared to respond 24/7 to any type of traumatic injury. This requires that we have in-house acute care surgeons, designated operating rooms, available CT scanners, trauma-accredited nursing staff, surgical critical care, 24/7 blood bank operation and immediately available subspecialists like neurosurgeons and orthopedic trauma surgeons. The center must also participate in trauma prevention programs, have a quality outcomes program, and provide a trauma education and research program.
Our Level II and III trauma centers are also prepared to treat traumatic injuries 24/7, and may transfer the most severe cases to our Level I trauma center. Our MedCenter Air team transports patients who require immediate or critical medical care to Carolinas Medical Center quickly and safely by ground or air.
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Level I Trauma
Trauma Care Locations
Atrium Health offers advanced trauma care in the Carolinas at various locations
Carolinas Medical Center F.H. "Sammy" Ross Jr. Trauma Center
The region's only Level I Trauma Center provides the following services, 24/7:
- Trauma surgeons and emergency medicine physicians in-hospital day and night
- Designated trauma resuscitation suites in the emergency department
- Prompt access to surgical specialists including neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and plastic surgeons
- CT scanning, angiography and MRI capabilities
- Trauma surgery suite equipped and staffed
- Anesthesiologist in-hospital
- Inpatient trauma intensive care unit designed exclusively for the severely injured
- Pediatric intensive care unit for the special needs of severely injured children
- Trauma rehabilitation services providing early intervention to traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury patients
- MedCenter Air helicopter and fixed wing aeromedical program, or critical care ground vehicles
- The areas only chest wall trauma program
Read the Carolinas Medical Center F.H. "Sammy" Ross Jr. Trauma Center Foundation Update 2020.
Levine Children’s Hospital Hemby Pediatric Trauma Institute
The only dedicated pediatric trauma center in the Charlotte region, and designated Level I trauma center. The services of the Hemby Pediatric Trauma Institute are available to healthcare providers and patients throughout the Carolinas 24 hours a day and include:
- Emergency medicine
- Pediatric critical care
- Neurosurgery
- Orthopedic surgery
- Plastic surgery
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Radiology
- Anesthesiology
- MedCenter Air helicopter and fixed wing aeromedical program, or critical care ground vehicles
Level III Trauma Centers
Disaster Preparedness
The Carolina area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center at Carolinas Medical Center is equipped to handle both natural disasters as well as potential terrorist attacks, including the use of chemical, biological and nuclear agents. The center has several disaster preparedness features:
The hospital disaster response team participates in preparedness activities, including mass patient decontamination, evacuation, transportation and alternate care facility mobilization and preparation.
A continuity of operations plan provides a framework for providing essential care during an incident, such as an influenza pandemic, while ensuring the safety and well-being of employees and patients.
A public health emergency can strain the capacity of hospitals. Carolinas Medical Center has an agreement with Mecklenburg County for use of its weekender annex of the Mecklenburg County Jail, which will act as CMC's alternate care facility if ever needed.
CMC works closely with the National Disaster Medical System to provide support with drills and when the system is activated.
Owned by Atrium Health, Carolinas MED-1 is a mobile hospital unit that provides full patient care at the site of a disaster or other mass casualty incident. Learn more here.
Trauma and Surgical Care Fellowships and Residencies
As one of only five academic teaching hospitals in North Carolina, Carolinas Medical Center is able to offer its students training in a broad number of medical specialties at one of the region's busiest urban hospitals, including trauma and surgical care.
For Providers
Transferring Patients to Carolinas Medical Center
The team at Atrium Health’s TeleHealth Solutions provides referring facilities with a responsive, reliable process for the transfer of patients to Carolinas Medical Center's Charlotte-area facilities. TeleHealth's goal is to provide efficient coordination of patient referrals with MedCenter Air and Bed Management to serve complex patients. Follow-up documentation is provided to referring providers via electronic access to patient data.
These lines are for physicians only:
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CMC Physician Connection Line (for adult patients):
704-512-7878
877-CMC-MD97
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Levine Children's Hospital Physician Line:
704-446-KIDS
888-279-5437
Trauma Research and Clinical Trials
Clinical trials can offer patients access to treatments not otherwise available, as well as a chance to participate in leading-edge medical research. Learn more about the latest trauma research and clinical trials.
Prehospital Analgesia INtervention Trial
Researchers at the Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center F.H. Sammy Ross Trauma Center are collaborating with the University of Pittsburgh in the Prehospital Analgesia INtervention (PAIN) Trial to see if giving fentanyl or low dose ketamine to trauma patients with pain in mild shock affects health outcomes. Learn more.