Trauma Services

Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability in the first four decades of life. Ministry Health Care provides advanced trauma services to adults and children across central and northern Wisconsin and the Upper Penninsula of Michigan.

As the only American College of Surgeons-verified Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center in our area, Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield works together with a coordinated network of partners including emergency response teams, community hospital emergency departments and Ministry Spirit Medical Transportation to provide the skillful handling and expert decision making that lead to successful patient outcomes.

What is a traumatic injury?

Physical trauma is a serious injury to the body. Blunt force trauma occurs when the body is struck with an object or force, causing concussions, lacerations or fractures. Penetrating trauma occurs when an object pierces the skin or body, usually creating an open wound. Visit the National Institutes of Health to learn more about traumatic injury.

What is a Trauma Center?

A trauma center provides advanced trauma life support care for injured patients and is in a constant state of readiness 24 hours a day. Although many people think of only emergency rooms when they see or hear about trauma, that is only the first 30 minutes of trauma. A trauma center is a multi-disciplinary collaboration of patient care from pre-hospital through discharge. It includes the most important aspect of trauma care - injury prevention.

• Benefits of patient care at a verified trauma center include:
• Reduced patient length of stay, complication rates, and mortality
• Continuum of care from admission through rehabilitation and discharge, and reintegration into the community
• Use of research/ evidence-based practice leads to improved clinical outcomes

Learn more about trauma care from the American Trauma Society.