LOVELAND, Colo. — UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies (MCR) has been designated a Level I trauma center, the first hospital in northern Colorado to receive this designation from Colorado Department of Public Health (CDPHE).
Level I recognizes the hospital can treat severe and complex injuries.
The designation, which officials announced Monday, means residents of northern Colorado will have quick access to top-level emergency and trauma care without a trip to metro Denver.
Elements required to be a Level I trauma center include around-the-clock coverage by trauma surgeons and prompt availability of specialists in orthopedics, neurosurgery and anesthesiology, among others, said UCHealth.
"Not only is this a great achievement for our hospital, but it’s also great news for our patients and our community," said Kevin Unger, MCR’s president and CEO. "For years, we have been delivering a very high level of trauma care. This designation officially recognizes us for that excellence and sets us on a path of continued progress."
Besides MCR in Loveland, the other Level I trauma centers in Colorado are:
- Centura St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood
- Swedish Medical Center in Englewood
- Denver Health Medical Center in Denver
- University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora
- University of Colorado Health Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs
"It truly takes a village to care for a patient, especially our most critically injured patients," said Dr. Warren Dorlac, the hospital’s trauma medical director. "It starts with EMS and law enforcement in the field. Then at the hospital, it’s the nurses, doctors and technicians. It’s also everyone in the laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, the operating room, the intensive care unit, nutrition, environmental services, therapists and everyone in between."
"This highest level of trauma care means our most critically injured patients stay closer to home and their families can more easily stay or visit them," said Dr. Dorlac.
UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies
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