Trauma Care Led by UT Health Sciences Physicians Achieves Highest National Recognition
Andrew Kerwin, MD, often compares a trauma center to a fire department, an essential resource people hope they never need.
“Nobody ever gets up in the morning and says, ‘I’m going to slip on the ice while I’m shoveling snow and hit my head,’” he said. “But if that happens, you want to know that the trauma center is there.”
Across Tennessee, that readiness is powered by physicians from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences.
In Knoxville and Chattanooga, College of Medicine faculty staff the Level 1 trauma centers at UT Medical Center and Erlanger Health. In Nashville, faculty provide emergency care at Ascension Saint Thomas.
In Memphis, UT Health Sciences physicians lead trauma care at the Regional One Health Elvis Presley Trauma Center, which has now earned national verification as a Level 1 Trauma Center from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The designation makes it the only Level 1 adult trauma center within 150 miles and affirms its ability to deliver the most comprehensive trauma care available.
“This recognition means that our trauma center stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best in the country,” said Josh Dugal, vice president of trauma and burn services at Regional One Health. “Being part of an ACS-verified Level 1 Trauma Center places us in an elite class of institutions.”
Dr. Kerwin serves as medical director of the Elvis Presley Trauma Center and chief of the Division of Trauma/Surgical Critical Care at UT Health Sciences. He and his team began preparing for ACS verification in 2022, culminating in an official site visit last August.
The ACS verification process is rigorous, examining everything from emergency response and surgical capabilities to rehabilitation services, education, research, and performance improvement programs.
“One patient could come in and be cared for by several hundred people during their stay,” Dr. Kerwin said. “Ensuring that we’re meeting all the standards for all of those disciplines takes countless hours of behind-the-scenes work.”
The milestone is personal for Dr. Kerwin, who completed his trauma and surgical critical care fellowship at UT Health Sciences in 1997. He trained under the “pioneers” of the university’s trauma program, particularly Timothy C. Fabian, MD, who launched the trauma program in the 1980s and developed the Elvis Presley Trauma Center.
Dr. Kerwin said the Level 1 achievement reflects a broad partnership between Regional One Health and UT Health Sciences. All trauma surgeons at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center hold faculty appointments, and the trauma service is a major training site for surgery residents and fellows. Subspecialty care is also supported by university-affiliated physicians, including orthopedic surgeons from Campbell Clinic, neurosurgeons from Semmes Murphey, and numerous other surgical and medical specialists who hold UT Health Sciences faculty appointments.
According to Regional One Health, the trauma center treats about 13,000 patients each year with a 97% survival rate. Level 1 status ensures that a full team of specialists is always ready to care for those patients and their families.
“At any moment, there’s a team here — physicians, nurses, therapists, X-ray techs — ready to assess a patient, treat life-threatening problems, and stabilize them,” Dr. Kerwin said.
ACS verification must be renewed every three years, ensuring trauma centers maintain the highest standards. For Memphis and communities across Tennessee, that ongoing work means that on the worst day of someone’s life, a highly trained team led by UT Health Sciences physicians is already in place.
“We’re always there,” Dr. Kerwin said. “Twenty-four seven.”