Fact Sheet: Facts About Pennsylvania's Trauma Centers

Pennsylvania’s 52 trauma centers¹ work around the clock to stabilize and treat critical injuries. Level I and II centers feature specially trained health care provider teams (e.g., trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, cardiac surgeons, radiologists, and nurses) with expertise in caring for severely injured patients. Level III and IV centers identify and stabilize life-threatening injuries, then quickly transfer patients to higher-level centers. Their patients suffer from life-threatening injuries, often because of falls, motor vehicle crashes, burns, gunshot wounds or assaults².

Five hospitals will receive Adult Level IV Trauma Center Accreditation on January 1, 2026.

Geisinger Medical Center Muncy, Muncy

Indiana Regional Medical Center, Indiana

Mount Nittany Medical Center, State College

St. Luke's Hospital - Easton Campus, St. Luke's University Health Network, Easton

WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital, WellSpan Health, Gettysburg

Combined Adult Level I/Pediatric Level I Trauma Centers

PennState Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/PennState Health Children's Hospital, Hershey
 

Combined Adult Level I/Pediatric Level II Trauma Centers

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest/Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown

Geisinger Medical Center/Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital, Danville

Adult Level I Trauma Centers

AHN Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh

Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Conemaugh Health System, Johnstown

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre

Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre

Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, Jefferson Health, Philadelphia

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Lancaster

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia

Reading Hospital, Tower Health, West Reading

St. Luke's University Hospital, St. Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem

Temple University Hospital, Temple Health, Philadelphia

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Jefferson Health, Philadelphia

UPMC Mercy, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh

UPMC Presbyterian, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh

WellSpan York Hospital, WellSpan Health, York

Pediatric Level I Trauma Centers

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia

St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Tower Health, Philadelphia

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh

Adult Level II Trauma Centers

AHN Forbes, Allegheny Health Network, Monroeville

Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton

Jefferson Abington Hospital, Jefferson Health, Abington

Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health, Philadelphia

Lankenau Medical Center, Main Line Health, Wynnewood

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Bethlehem

Paoli Hospital, Main Line Health, Paoli

Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Healthcare, DuBois

Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center, Camp Hill

St. Luke’s Grand View Hospital, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Sellersville

St. Luke's Hospital Anderson Campus, St. Luke's University Health Network, Easton

St. Mary Medical Center, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, Langhorne

UPMC Hamot, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Erie

UPMC Williamsport, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Williamsport

Level III Trauma Centers

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono, Lehigh Valley Health Network, East Stroudsburg

UPMC Altoona, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Altoona

Level IV Trauma Centers

AHN Grove City, Allegheny Health Network, Grove City

Conemaugh Miners Medical Center, Conemaugh Health System, Hastings

Conemaugh Nason Medical Center, Conemaugh Health System, Roaring Spring

Fulton County Medical Center, McConnellsburg

Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital, Jersey Shore

Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, Lewistown

Geisinger Medical Center Muncy, Muncy

Geisinger St. Luke's Hospital, St. Luke's University Health Network, Orwigsburg

Guthrie Troy Community Hospital, Troy

Indiana Regional Medical Center, Indiana

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Hazleton

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hecktown Oaks, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Easton

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Pottsville

Mount Nittany Medical Center, State College

St. Luke's Hospital - Carbon Campus, St. Luke's University Health Network, Lehighton

St. Luke's Hospital - Easton Campus, St. Luke's University Health Network, Easton

St. Luke's Hospital - Miners Campus, St. Luke's University Health Network, Coaldale

St. Luke's Hospital - Monroe Campus, St. Luke's University Health Network, Stroudsburg

St. Luke's Hospital - Upper Bucks Campus, St. Luke's University Health Network, Quakertown

Wayne Memorial Hospital, Honesdale

WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital, Gettysburg
 

Trauma Center Statistics Tell a Story of Success

• Between 1985 and 2020, 1,020,679 patients have been treated in Pennsylvania trauma centers, with a statewide average of more than 40,000 trauma patients treated each year since 2006³
• During 2020, more than 95 percent of Pennsylvania’s trauma patients survived their hospitalization. In total that year, the commonwealth’s accredited trauma centers saved 47,507 lives⁴
• A national study shows that poor access to trauma centers is associated with more pre-hospital deaths, which may lead to higher overall injury mortality rate. The study revealed that the current trauma center infrastructure of Pennsylvania allowed the commonwealth to perform better than the national average on the ratio of pre-hospital to in-hospital death, despite having a higher rural population rate than an average state⁵

Financial Perspective on Trauma Care

• During 2023, 23 percent of all Pennsylvania trauma centers cases were covered by Medicaid or were self-pay as a primary or secondary payor; 60 percent were covered by Medicare and/or Medicaid as a primary or secondary payor⁶
• Trauma centers have higher levels of uncompensated care than other hospitals—during 2023, they contributed 57 percent of all hospital uncompensated care costs⁷
• A national study found the benefits of trauma center care—as measured by lives saved, improved quality of life, and years gained—outweigh the costs, particularly for the most severely injured patients.⁸ Care at a trauma center is associated with lower mortality rates, decreased readmission rates—even when controlling for severity of injury and, research suggests, improved long-term outcomes⁹

Quality Improvement Efforts

• Under state law, the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) is the accrediting body and develops standards based on the American College of Surgeons guidelines for trauma centers to assure quality patient care for trauma patients. The Foundation also surveys trauma centers, assures regulatory compliance by accredited trauma centers, and promotes optimal outcomes for all trauma patients in Pennsylvania
• The Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study, a registry to which all centers must contribute data to maintain certification, is paving the way for quality improvement in the commonwealth’s trauma centers by implementing benchmarking methodology enabling risk-adjusted models for statewide trauma systems¹⁰
• Growth of Level IV trauma centers: Level IV trauma centers provide initial care and stabilization of traumatic injury while arranging transfer to a higher level of trauma care. The PTSF accredited Pennsylvania’s first Level IV trauma center during 2013.¹¹ 
• In 2004, the state passed the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Stabilization Act to provide financial support to hospitals accredited as trauma centers by the PTSF. The funding helps improve access to specialty services and enhance the quality of care by providing training programs, community education, and facility improvements.¹²

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¹ Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), Press Release: Additional Level IV Trauma Centers Accredited by Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation. Issued 12/16/2025. Last Accessed: 12/16/2025.
² Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), What is a Trauma Center? Last accessed 12/16/2025.
³ Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), Enhancing the Commonwealth’s Trauma System: 2019 Annual Report. Last accessed: 12/16/2025.This data is based on the latest version of the annual reports published by The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF).
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Hashmi ZG, Jarman MP, Uribe-Leitz T, Goralnick E, Newgard CD, Salim A, Cornwell E 3rd, Haider AH. Access Delayed Is Access Denied: Relationship Between Access to Trauma Center Care and Pre-Hospital Death. J Am Coll Surg. 2019 Jan;228(1):9-20. Last accessed: 12/16/2025.
⁶ Based on HAP’s July 2025 analysis of 2023 Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) Inpatient Discharge Claims Data.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ MacKenzie, EJ.; Weir, et al. The Value of Trauma Center Care. Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care. 69(1):1-10, July 2010. Last accessed 12/16/2025.
⁹ Staudenmayer K, Weiser TG, Maggio PM, Spain DA, Hsia RY. Trauma center care is associated with reduced readmissions after injury. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. 2016; 80(3):412–418. Last accessed 12/16/2025.
¹⁰Wiebe DJ, Holena DN, Delgado MK, McWilliams N, Altenburg J, Carr BG. The Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study Risk-Adjusted Mortality Model: Results of a Statewide Benchmarking Program. Am Surg. 2017;83(5):445-452. Last accessed 12/16/2025.
¹¹ PRNewswire.com, First Level IV Trauma Center to be Accredited in Pennsylvania November 1, 2013. Source of the news: PTSF. Last accessed: 12/16/2025.
¹² Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Stabilization Act, Annual Report Fiscal Year 2019-2020. July 2021. Last accessed 12/16/2025.

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Topics: Access to Care, Emergency Preparedness, State Advocacy

Revision Date: 12/16/2025

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