The Trauma team at The George Washington University Hospital provides the premier academic trauma care in the DC Metropolitan Area. The Trauma Center is a Level I verified facility which evaluates and treats over 1,900 patients per year. The Trauma Center is run by 5 full-time, trauma fellowship trained surgeons who also have sub-specialty certification in Surgical Critical Care. Residents rotate on the service along with medical students and dedicated advanced practitioners. GW is located 6 blocks from the White House, 3 blocks from the State Department, and across the street from the World Bank. The Trauma Center is prepared to service a diverse group of patients, from area residents to visiting dignitaries and heads of state.
In addition, the trauma service serves as the nexus for the ONE-CALL GW Patient Transfer Center which works with our surrounding community partners to facilitate the transfer of an additional 1,900 patients. Through this service, we provide care to both injured as well as non-injured, critically ill patients in the greater Washington DC metropolitan and suburban community.
Education
In terms of education, the Center for Trauma and Critical Care offers Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and Fundamentals of Critical Care Support (FCCS) as well as Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) and Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC). The Center also sponsors all categorical general surgery residents to attend the Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET) course.
Cutting Edge Research
Research into advanced methods and processes of care is a core function of the Trauma Center. We currently have active protocols evaluating medications that may improve outcomes following brain injury, methods to improve nutritional support of our sickest patients, blood tests to more rapidly diagnose coagulopathy.
The trauma surgeons and emergency medicine physicians on the medical staff at GW Hospital are routinely invited to teach and present their research findings at national meetings, including The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, The Society of Critical Care Medicine, and The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and The American Academy of Emergency Medicine.
