Trauma center at Swedish Medical Center

Level I Trauma Center in Denver

Swedish Medical Center is home to one of the leading trauma centers in Colorado, serving trauma and neurotrauma patients throughout the Rocky Mountain region. At our Level I Trauma Center, our highly trained physicians are standing by with emergency care resources and leading-edge technology to provide patients with advanced care after sustaining a traumatic injury.

For more information on Swedish Medical Center's trauma center, please call (866) 779-3347.

Outstanding surgical trauma care

At Swedish Medical Center, our team of trauma surgeons, researchers and administrative personnel work together to provide an extensive support system for patients who need higher levels of care. Our goal is to ensure that patients receive comprehensive, compassionate trauma care—fast.

To do this, we provide patients with quick, safe transportation from the accident site to our hospital. Swedish has partnered with AirLife Denver, HealthONE’s emergency medical transport service. This experienced medical transport team helps critically injured patients in the region get to our hospital as quickly and safely as possible.

Critical care unit

Our award-winning critical care unit employs board-certified trauma surgeons and physicians who are on call 24/7. We also offer a team of registered nurses and physical therapists that provide conventional acute and critical care services.

Comprehensive services in our critical care unit include:

• Access to specialists across the medical spectrum for consultation
• Critical care certified nurses
• On-call specialty team and trauma surgeon
• Quality care for critically injured trauma, medical, surgical, neurological and cardiac patients
• State-of-the-art equipment for cardiac and central nervous system monitoring

Multi-trauma unit

The multi-trauma unit (MTU) provides acute nursing care at a variety of stages, from respiratory management through the beginning phases of rehabilitation. Providing aggressive therapy to prevent complications that come with bed rest, the team works closely with patients who have experienced multiple traumas.

The anesthesia department provides an in-house, board-certified anesthesiologist 24/7 as part of the surgical team. Our trauma anesthesiology team undergoes additional education, and all members become certified instructors for our advanced trauma life-support classes.

Facial trauma care

At Swedish Medical Center, we understand that facial trauma is one of the most complex injuries to treat. That’s why we have a multidisciplinary panel of surgeons with specific expertise to offer patients excellent outcomes. Whether at the time of trauma or after, our team is here to provide expert care.

Types of facial injury

Craniomaxillofacial trauma—Craniomaxillofacial trauma includes any injury to the soft tissues of the face, neck and scalp. It also includes the hard tissues of the facial skeleton, including the jaws, facial bones and skull base.

Soft tissue injuries—Soft tissue injuries include any injuries to the skin and facial features, including the lips, nose and eyelids. Soft tissue injuries include dog bites, lacerations or other aesthetic conditions.

Hard tissue injuries—Hard tissue injuries include injuries to the functional and structural bones in the face, such as eye sockets or jaws. It is essential to restore the damaged tissue to its original condition for the patient to regain function.

Common incidents that cause facial injury include sports-related injury, motor vehicle accident, animal attack wounds, interpersonal violence and falls.

Orthopedic trauma

Orthopedic trauma care focuses on treating patients with fractures and other injuries. As a Level I Trauma Center, we provide the highest level of trauma care. This includes an orthopedic trauma program to handle complex injuries and develop standardized approaches to care for our patients. Our orthopedic trauma doctors diagnose and treat bone and joint injuries, such as broken bones, intra-articular fractures and pelvic trauma.

Broken bones and fractures

Fractures are one of the most common forms of orthopedic trauma. The older you get, the more susceptible you are to broken bones due to brittle bones.

That is why our orthopedic physicians are available 24 hours a day to treat patients with:

• Complex and simple fractures
• Fractures resulting from severe trauma
• Fractures with infection
• Non-healing fractures
• Pelvis and acetabular (hip socket) fractures

Specialized fracture care for older adults

The M60 Mature Fracture Program at Swedish Medical Center provides comprehensive care for people 60 years old and older who have broken a hip.

This type of trauma to the hip can be challenging for older adults. With proper care and rehabilitation, however, a hip fracture does not have to mean a long-term loss of function and independence.

Our M60 Mature Fracture Program involves advanced care at every step of the recovery process. Our goal is to return patients to their pre-injury level of function.

Some features of our program that help patients recover quickly include:

• Treatment from highly trained orthopedic trauma specialists
• Expedited surgical treatment
• Early ambulation following surgery
• Nerve blocks to numb the injured area and help decrease the need for narcotic pain killers
  

Pelvic trauma management

We are one of the few hospitals in the U.S. with a team of orthopedic surgeons specialized in pelvic trauma. Our surgeons provide specific pelvic expertise beginning at the onset of injury. This means you will receive specialized care immediately, ensuring a safe, healthy recovery for even complicated pelvic injuries.

Pediatric trauma care

The benefits of our Trauma Center extend to even our youngest patients. Our pediatric team works closely to provide the same level of experienced trauma care our adult patients receive. As a result, we’ve received a pediatric trauma commitment verification.

We have a dedicated pediatric trauma room specifically designed for children. We also have a six-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to meet the needs of pediatric intensive care patients and their families. Our pediatric intensive care team is supported by pediatric subspecialists and is on call around the clock. Our physicians are specialized in cardiology, neurological care and endocrinology, allowing them to treat complex injuries.

Trauma education

Our emergency medicine doctors, trauma and nursing personnel, trauma surgeons and surgical subspecialists are dedicated to providing education to the Denver community on a variety of trauma-related topics. Our team aims to create programs that are tailored to the particular needs of each member in the class. The goal is to work toward a well-educated community about reducing the risk of preventable, serious injuries.

To learn more about trauma education classes offered at Swedish Medical Center, please call (303) 788-5082.

Trauma research

We are dedicated to basic scientific research in the area of traumatic injury. Studies show that patients have much more successful outcomes when continued research occurs at a hospital. Our research department has a staffed laboratory fully equipped for immunology, molecular biology and proteomic research, with multiple and diverse basic science and clinical projects underway.

Our research team has provided more than 100 publications and presentations and has 15 years of trauma-specific research experience. The research includes basic science, clinical research, diagnostic testing and population-based studies to improve the care of injured patients.

A wounded warrior’s story of recovery

Taking orders isn’t something Senior Master Sergeant Martin Smith is used to. However, after a traumatic accident, he relied on the guidance from Swedish Medical Center's trauma surgeons. Read Martin’s incredible story of recovery.