Miami Valley Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center

Miami Valley Hospital’s Level I trauma center provides the highest level of care for the most critically injured and sick patients in Southwest Ohio and Eastern Indiana, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

We also partner with community hospitals to improve care for patients who need treatment at a Level I trauma center. This ensures patients with severe injuries are quickly identified and transferred by CareFlight Air and Mobile Services or ambulance to Miami Valley Hospital.

As the most experienced Level I trauma center in the Dayton region, we are verified by the American College of Surgeons.

View our Trauma Annual Report

What We Offer

Access to a Level I trauma center improves the quality of life for a community. At Miami Valley Hospital, we specialize in the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of all forms of traumatic injury and are optimally prepared to manage any type of traumatic injury on any day, at any time.

Our Level I trauma center and emergency room provides:

  • Direct-to-operating-room option for patients needing lifesaving surgery with no delay
  • Trauma surgeons and emergency medicine physicians in-hospital 24 hours a day 
  • Designated trauma resuscitation suites in the Shaw Emergency and Trauma Center 
  • Designated trauma operating suites equipped and staffed 24 hours a day
  • Coordinated response from a multidisciplinary trauma team that includes:
    • Surgical critical care
    • Immediately available subspecialists (such as neurosurgeons and orthopedic trauma surgeons)
    • Trauma accredited nurses
  • CT, angiography and MRI capabilities 24 hours a day 
  • Anesthesiologist in-hospital 24 hours a day 
  • 24/7 blood bank operation
  • Inpatient surgical intensive care unit designed exclusively for the severely injured trauma patient
  • Trauma rehabilitation services providing early intervention to traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury patients 
  • In-depth trauma research, education and injury prevention programs

Our trauma department was created in 1984 and first verified as a Level I Trauma Center in 1992.

Chest Wall Injury Collaborative Center

In 2022, Miami Valley Hospital, in collaboration with Wright State Physicians and Wright State University's Boonshoft School of Medicine, was the 20th hospital in the world designated as a Chest Wall Injury Collaborative Center. The center provides comprehensive pain management, respiratory therapy, and rib plating surgery for patients with fractures and those experiencing chronic chest wall pain. Learn more.

What To Expect

Treatment for trauma patients follows established patterns that provide the most effective care for patients and support for families.

Trauma care begins at the scene of a serious injury when emergency medical services or the CareFlight Air and Mobile Services team notifies our trauma team by pager that a patient is on the way to the Shaw Emergency and Trauma Center.

Each patient receives care based on the severity of the injury. There are three distinct levels of trauma alerts that can be activated before the patient arrives at the hospital:

  • CAT 1 patients are severely injured with unstable vital signs.
  • CAT 2 patients are seriously injured but have stable vital signs. Team composition and response are modified slightly for these patients.
  • CAT 3 patients have a single system injury and stable vital signs.

Once at the hospital, patients are taken to a fully equipped trauma bay, where trauma and emergency doctors and nurses perform an initial assessment to identify and treat any life-threatening injuries.

When a loved one receives trauma care at Miami Valley Hospital, our doctors will take you to see your family member and will discuss their medical situation with you as soon as possible. Our social workers provide support to you and your family and help answer your questions.

Your Trauma Care Team

The make-up of the trauma team varies depending on the patient’s injury level. Trauma surgeons specially trained in managing critically injured and medically complex patients lead the multidisciplinary trauma team at Miami Valley Hospital. Trauma surgeons are always on site and are board-certified with at least five years of post-graduate school training.

The complex needs of trauma patients require extensive resources and many medical specialists and health care staff. The trauma team provides advanced surgery and intensive care — and coordinates rehabilitation and follow-up care.

Learn more about the trauma care team.

Surgical ICU

Critically ill trauma patients are cared for in the surgical ICU (intensive care unit.) The more than 60 beds in this unit are designed for patients with multiple complex injuries including:

  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Head trauma
  • Penetrating injuries

The surgical ICU provides quality, safe care from our multidisciplinary teams, which are trained in the care of critically ill patients and neuro-trauma. Your team may include:

  • Registered nurses
  • Patient care technicians
  • Doctors
  • Pharmacists
  • Dietitians
  • Respiratory therapists
  • Rehabilitation therapists

All nurses in the surgical ICU are certified in basic and advanced cardiac life support. Many nurses also achieve national recognition as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) and Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) certifications.

Staff in this trauma unit treat acute injuries and help patients prepare for future rehabilitation needs and additional care.

How We Maintain Level I Verification

The American College of Surgeons sets the criteria for trauma center credentialing.

To maintain this designation, we undergo continuous evaluation of our Level I trauma center. We must also:

We meet the following American College of Surgeons qualifications for a Level I trauma center by:

  • Admitting at least 1,200 trauma patients a year, or having 240 admissions or more with an Injury Severity Score higher than 15
  • Requiring qualified attending surgeons to:
    • Participate in major therapeutic decisions
    • Be present in the emergency department for major resuscitations
    • Be present at operative procedures
    • Be actively involved in the critical care of all seriously injured patients
  • Participating in the training of residents and leading in education and outreach activities.
  • Conducting trauma research

With more than 30 years’ experience caring for the region’s most critical patients, Miami Valley Hospital is committed to leading the trauma field into the future. Our trauma teams actively take part in several multicenter research studies, including some funded by National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control grants.

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If you or a loved one needs emergency or trauma care, our teams of specially trained doctors and nurses are here to help. At Premier Heath, we quickly assess your condition and provide the care and treatment you need.

You can access emergency services at the following locations: