What is a trauma center?

Trauma centers are hospitals with resources immediately available to provide efficient emergency medical services and surgical intervention for life-threatening injuries. They are not intended to replace the traditional hospital emergency department for minor injuries.

What is a level II trauma center?

In Pennsylvania there are three levels of trauma centers. Level I trauma centers have all the resources required to care for trauma patients, as well as provide trauma research, a surgical residency program, and have an annual volume of 600 patients per year. A level II trauma center must have the same clinical resources in place, but do not require the research or surgical residency components. Volume requirements are 350 trauma patients per year. Level III trauma centers are smaller community hospitals which do not require a minimum volume of trauma patients. Their focus is to stabilize severe trauma in preparation for transport to a higher level trauma center, as well as care for patients with mild to moderate trauma.

Which hospitals in the Main Line Health System are trauma centers?

The Trauma Centers at Lankenau Medical Center and Paoli Hospital are Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation state-accredited level II trauma centers.

Lankenau Medical Center, located in Montgomery County, became a level II trauma center on September 1, 2016.

Paoli Hospital, located in Chester County, opened its level II trauma center on October 1, 2010.

Does Main Line Health System have a helicopter?

Main Line Health hospitals do not have a helicopter on-site, but continue to utilize our hospitals’ helipad to receive trauma patients from local helicopter services. Currently, we receive patients from the scene or referring hospitals via helicopter.

Who serves as Main Line Health trauma surgeons?

Trauma surgeons from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital provide trauma care at Paoli Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center. These surgeons are dual-board certified in surgical critical care and general surgery. In addition, Lankenau Medical Center is supported by six board certified general surgeons who participate in providing care to the injured.

Who leads the Trauma Centers at Paoli Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center?

The Trauma Center at Paoli Hospital

Kris Kaulback, MD, FACS, is the Trauma Program Medical Director. Prior to arriving at Paoli Hospital, he was the Associate Trauma Program Medical Director at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he remains on staff.

Kerry Larkin, MSN, RN, CEN, is the Trauma Program Manager. Prior to arriving at Paoli Hospital, she was the Trauma Program Manager at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, a Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation state-accredited level I trauma center.

The Trauma Center at Lankenau Medical Center

Ehyal Shweiki, MD, MS Bioethics, FACS, is the Trauma Program Medical Director. Prior to arriving at Lankenau Hospital, he was the Director of Research at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he remains on staff.

Janine Skahan, MSN, RN, is the Trauma Program Manager. Before arriving at Lankenau Medical Center she was the program manager of a Level I Trauma Center in Philadelphia.

Does Paoli Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center have in-house physicians to care for trauma patients?

Each trauma center has 24 hour-a-day, trauma in-house, attending trauma surgeon coverage as well as anesthesiology and a fully staffed operating room.

How do I contact someone from the program?

For Paoli Hospital, Kerry Larkin can be reached at 484.565.8325, or email at larkink@mlhs.org.

For Lankenau Medical Center, Janine Skahan can be reached at 484.476.1390, or email at skahanj@mlhs.org.