Trauma Program

Overview

Mass General has a solid infrastructure in place to support complex clinical efforts. Everyone from residents to nurses and surgeons receive extensive training in trauma care.

Once paramedics notify us that a trauma patient is arriving, an activation system assures a multidisciplinary team is assembled at the Emergency Department to accept the patient. Other areas of the hospital, including the Blood Bank, Intensive Care Unit and operating rooms, also are automatically notified to reserve resources in case they are needed. Attending surgeons are on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and respond within a few minutes of activation.

Partnerships with Community Hospitals

Mass General partners with community hospitals to improve care for patients who are injured a great distance away from a Level I trauma center. Telecommunication capabilities and trauma transfer agreements facilitate prompt identification of patients with severe injuries and expedite transfer if needed.

For information on partnering with our Trauma Division, please contact George Velmahos, MD, PhD, at 617-726-9591 or email him at gvelmahos@partners.org.

Research and Education

Mass General is committed to leading the trauma field into the future. Our division regularly conducts clinical, basic science, translational and injury prevention research projects. Funded by federal and private agencies, our laboratory performs groundbreaking experiments to discover new methods of trauma care.

In addition, we provide ongoing education for the next generation of trauma professionals, including residents, fellows, nurses, medical students and international medical graduates. We offer:

• Trauma and Critical Care Symposium
• Trauma Research Fellowship
• Surgical Critical Care/Acute Surgery Fellowship