News

The board of directors of the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) has extended the St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus’ Adult Level IV Trauma accreditation for four years, the maximum timeframe allowed.

As a Level IV Trauma Center, the specialty trained providers at St. Luke’s Upper Bucks provide initial evaluation, stabilization and diagnostic testing for people with severe injuries.  This includes the availability of laboratory and radiology services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Mild to moderately injured patients may remain at the Upper Bucks Campus, allowing them to receive care and to recover within their community and close to their families.  Emergency Department physicians and staff are well equipped and skilled to evaluate and treat trauma patients and rapidly transfer those patients requiring a higher level of care to St. Luke’s Level I Trauma Center in nearby Bethlehem.

St. Luke’s Quakertown Campus began its pursuit of trauma center accreditation in 2015.  Following an assessment verifying compliance with standards of accreditation for appropriate and timely care of injured patients, advanced education for providers, review of trauma care delivery and an onsite inspection, the campus earned Leve IV accreditation in 2016.  St. Luke’s Quakertown was re-accredited in 2017 and the Upper Bucks Campus received accreditation as an Adult Level IV Trauma Center in 2020. 

“Receiving the maximum extension of our Level IV Trauma accreditation signifies the board of directors of PTSF recognizes our commitment to providing optimal care to injured patients, and that we have demonstrated that our clinical care exceeds their expectations,” says Dennis Pfleiger, President of St. Luke’s Quakertown | Upper Bucks Campuses.

Having a Level IV Trauma Center in the community means patients in and around Upper Bucks and Montgomery county can receive specialized trauma care quickly.  Receiving timely and appropriate care has been shown to reduce the likelihood of death or permanent disability due to injury.  In addition, using a local trauma center decreases travel time for EMS and provides paramedics faster turn-around time, serving the community more efficiently and effectively.

“This reaccreditation illustrates the confidence PTSF has in St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus,” says Pfleiger. “Our success is directly related to the dedication and hard work of our entire care team, who remain committed to providing quality care to our community.”