Following approval from the Main Line Health Board of Governors, Lankenau Medical Center (LMC), part of Main Line Health (MLH), has submitted a letter of intent to pursue Level II Trauma Center accreditation with the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF). After an assessment of community needs and discussions with key stakeholders and community leaders, LMC has identified a critical need to bring the specialized services associated with a Level II Trauma into the community.
“Today, Southern Montgomery County and Northern Delaware County lack access to local trauma services. Establishing a Level II Trauma Center on the Lankenau Medical Center campus in Wynnewood will enhance EMS responders’ ability to rapidly transport trauma victims to a nearby hospital for lifesaving treatment, allowing these patients to stay closer to family, friends and other sources of support,” said Phil Robinson, Lankenau Medical Center president. “Additionally, having a Trauma Center nearby will greatly reduce the time Lankenau’s EMS partners are required to spend outside of their coverage area when transporting trauma patients.”
Main Line Health is committed to reinvesting in its communities to provide access to the highest quality care. Due to a critical community need in Chester County, in 2010, Main Line Health opened a Level II Trauma Center at Paoli Hospital to serve as the county’s only trauma center. Since its opening, the amount of time before a patient arrived to a trauma center was cut nearly in half (from 75 minutes to 35 minutes) greatly increasing the possibility of receiving lifesaving treatment within the Golden Hour (the first 60 minutes, in which a trauma victim has the best chance of survival). Additionally, the number of trauma flights leaving the county from the scene of the accident decreased from 500 to ten.
“The tremendous expertise and capabilities involved in the creation of a Trauma Center will be available to all Lankenau Medical Center patients, further enhancing quality of care across the continuum,” added John Schwarz, Vice President, Administration, Lankenau Medical Center. “Most significantly, in the event of a major disaster, a trauma center is an invaluable community resource for saving lives.”
The accreditation process will take approximately fifteen months. The PTSF will perform an on-site survey in summer 2016 to review Lankenau Medical Center’s application and capabilities.