The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) announced that Trauma Center accreditation has been granted to four additional hospitals in Pennsylvania, effective September 1, 2021.

Adult Level II Trauma Center Accreditation

• Grand View Health – Grand View Hospital, Sellersville, PA
• Lehigh Valley Health Network – Lehigh Valley Hospital – Muhlenberg, Bethlehem, PA
• St. Luke’s University Health Network – St. Luke’s Hospital Anderson Campus, Easton, PA
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Williamsport, Williamsport, PA

Effective September 1, 2021, this brings the total number of trauma centers in Pennsylvania to 46 as follows:

Combined Adult Level I /Pediatric Level I Trauma Centers 

• Hershey – PennState Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/ PennState Health Children’s Hospital

Combined Adult Level I/Pediatric Level II Trauma Centers

• Allentown – Lehigh Valley Health Network – Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest/ Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital
• Danville – Geisinger Medical Center/ Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital

Adult Level I Trauma Centers

• Bethlehem – St. Luke’s University Health Network – St. Luke’s University Hospital Bethlehem
• Johnstown – Conemaugh Health System – Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
• Lancaster – Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health – Lancaster General Hospital
• Philadelphia – Einstein Healthcare Network – Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia
• Philadelphia – Temple Health – Temple University Hospital
• Philadelphia – Jefferson Health – Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
• Philadelphia – Penn Medicine – Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
• Pittsburgh – Allegheny Health Network – Allegheny General Hospital
• Pittsburgh – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Mercy
• Pittsburgh – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Presbyterian
• West Reading – Tower Health – Reading Hospital
• York – WellSpan Health – WellSpan York Hospital

Pediatric Level I Trauma Centers

• Philadelphia – Tower Health – St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
• Philadelphia – The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Adult Level II Trauma Centers

• Abington – Jefferson Health – Abington Hospital
• Altoona – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Altoona
• Bethlehem – Lehigh Valley Health Network – Lehigh Valley Hospital – Muhlenberg
• Camp Hill – PennState Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
• Easton – St. Luke’s University Health Network – St. Luke’s Hospital Anderson Campus
• Erie – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Hamot
• Langhorne – Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic – St. Mary Medical Center
• Monroeville – Allegheny Health Network – Forbes Hospital
• Paoli – Main Line Health – Paoli Hospital Main Line
• Philadelphia – Jefferson Health – Jefferson Torresdale Hospital
• Sayre – Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital
• Scranton – Geisinger Community Medical Center
• Sellersville – Grand View Health – Grand View Hospital
• Upland – Crozer-Keystone Health System – Crozer-Chester Medical Center
• Wilkes-Barre – Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
• Wilkes-Barre – Commonwealth Health – Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
• Williamsport – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Williamsport
• Wynnewood – Main Line Health – Lankenau Medical Center Main Line

Level III Trauma Centers

• East Stroudsburg – Lehigh Valley Health Network – Lehigh Valley Hospital Pocono

Level IV Trauma Centers

• Coaldale – St. Luke’s University Health Network – St. Luke’s Hospital Miners Campus
• Grove City – Allegheny Health Network – Grove City Hospital
• Hastings – Conemaugh Miners Medical Center
• Hazleton – Lehigh Valley Health Network – Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton
• Honesdale – Wayne Memorial Hospital
• McConnellsburg – Fulton County Medical Center
• Quakertown – St. Luke’s University Health Network – St. Luke’s Hospital Upper Bucks Campus
• Stroudsburg – St. Luke’s University Health Network – St. Luke’s Hospital Monroe Campus
• Troy – Guthrie Troy Community Hospital

The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) is a non-profit corporation recognized by the Emergency Medical Services Act (Act 1985-45). The PTSF is the organization responsible for accrediting trauma centers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Trauma centers are hospitals with resources immediately available to provide optimal care and reduce the likelihood of death or disability to injured patients. Accredited trauma centers must be continuously prepared to treat the most serious life threatening and disabling injuries. They are not intended to replace the traditional hospital and its emergency department for minor injuries.

In Pennsylvania, there are four levels of trauma centers. Level I trauma centers provide the highest degree of resources with a full spectrum of specialists and must have trauma research and surgical residency programs. Level II trauma centers require the same high level of care but do not require research and residency programs. Level III trauma centers are smaller community hospitals that do not require neurosurgeons and focus on stabilizing severe trauma patients prior to transport to a higher-level trauma center. They may admit patients with mild and moderate injuries. Level IV trauma centers provide enhanced care to injured patients within the emergency department and focus on stabilization and quick transfer to a higher-level trauma center. They may admit mildly injured patients.

Each trauma center regardless of its level is an integral component of the emergency medical services (EMS) system. The EMS system assures appropriate patient care management from the time of injury to treatment at a local hospital or trauma center through the rehabilitative phase of care.

A comprehensive list of the Commonwealth’s trauma centers is located at www.ptsf.org.

The National Football League Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation and its members, the thirty-two NFL clubs, support athletes’ health, safety, wellness, youth football, and the communities that support the game.

To that end, the foundation is accepting applications for its Digital Divide Grant application. According to the foundation, the ability to access computers and the internet has become increasingly important to completely immerse oneself in the economic, political, and social aspects of America and the world. Since not everyone has access to this technology, the NFL Foundation will award up to $30,000 per NFL Club to earmark work with local nonprofits that help bridge the digital divide in their communities.

NFL Clubs and nonprofits or schools working in the digital divide space in a club market with NFL Club approval are eligible.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the National Football League Foundation website.  The deadline for applications is September 1, 2021.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a funding opportunity, made possible by the American Rescue Plan, to help states strengthen system capacity to provide community-based mobile crisis intervention services for those with Medicaid. The $15 million funding opportunity is available to state Medicaid agencies for planning grants to support developing these programs. This funding opportunity provides financial resources for state Medicaid agencies to assess community needs and develop programs to bring crisis intervention services directly to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use related crisis outside a hospital or facility setting. These services may include screening and assessment, stabilization and de-escalation, and coordination of referrals after the initial treatment.