Trauma Services

Hundreds of times a day the conversation begins the same way – Tell me what’s going on. Grady Trauma teams see everything from the routine to the extreme. But to those we serve, our response is always the same. We’re going to take great care of you.

That’s why we’re here. As Atlanta’s premier Level 1 Trauma Center and the only center verified by the American College of Surgeons, we provide the highest level of emergency and trauma care available. We leverage clinicians in all the specialties Grady has to offer. Because we want to make sure you have the best chance for recovery following your injury or illness.

At Grady, our physicians and staff never forget it’s about providing unparalleled care that changes lives. In a time of need, Atlanta is depending on us.

Simply put, Grady operates one of the nation’s best trauma centers.

Medical fellows and residents from around the world come to Atlanta to learn at our Marcus Trauma Center. So have military special forces medics who need to know how to efficiently handle complex, severe trauma cases. We are one of the nation’s five busiest trauma centers and the busiest in the Southeast. In the last year, we have seen nearly 7,300 trauma patients.

That’s important to patients because our team has the experience to efficiently care for the most challenging acute cases and those that require serious but far less critical care.

Because of our expertise, the most complicated trauma cases are brought to Grady from neighboring states because we have the experience to handle the most complicated cases and the newest medical technology to diagnose and treat the most serious conditions.

Grady is one of a handful of trauma centers staffed by specialists on the faculties of two medical schools – Emory and Morehouse schools of medicine. And, because we have one of the nation’s most active trauma research programs, Grady offers access to some of medicine’s most promising emerging therapies. Our use of pioneering techniques has improved the way trauma care is delivered around the world.

At Grady, every trauma patient also has access to the comprehensive medical services we’ve created for Atlanta over more than 125 years. That means we have the expertise to handle whatever trauma you’ve experienced and whatever complications may arise.

Trauma comes in unimaginable forms. Grady has handled them all. Our most common trauma cases involve:

• Falls, the most common trauma we treat. Our patients have fallen from trees, rooftops, construction sites, and ladders. We understand there is no such thing as a simple fall. Injuries can be as straightforward as broken bones or as complex as organ damage.
• Motor vehicle crashes, which remain too common. People involved in crashes often require special neurological, orthopedic, musculoskeletal, and psychological care.
• Gunshot wounds, both intentional and accidental. These trauma cases are complex and often involve bleeding, broken bones, organ damage, infection, or paralysis.
• Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles. Like motor vehicle crashes, injuries can be complex and life-threatening.
• Assaults, such as beatings.  These trauma cases typically involve different types of bone fractures, often involving the hands or face.

All our trauma specialists understand that time is critical when caring for an injured patient. That is why we start to provide care before a patient arrives at our doors.

Trauma patients need a continuum of care that stabilizes those who are critically ill or injured, provides them with required medical care, then creates an environment that promotes healing and helps each patient to return to their normal lives. To provide that care, Grady offers:

• Atlanta’s most experienced EMS workers. Trauma care begins at the scene when emergency medical service workers start to diagnose the problem, provide life-saving care, and stabilize a patient for transport to the hospital.
• Trauma response. At Marcus Trauma Center, dedicated surgeons and specialists are available 24/7 to address each patient’s acuity. The center serves as a one-stop-shop where physicians and radiologists diagnose each patient and provide needed medical intervention.  
• Advanced diagnostics. Trauma patients have immediate access to Atlanta’s best rapid CT scanners and state-of-the-art imaging.
• Interventional treatment. Grady’s trauma team provides the best interventional care, whether it involves surgery performed by highly trained trauma surgeons or interventional radiology that can correct many injuries and conditions using minimally invasive procedures. And, because Grady is Atlanta’s best Level 1 trauma center, patients who need them receive interventional treatment within 30 minutes of their arrival at the trauma center.
• Intensive care. Patients who need intensive care following their treatment are moved to one of Grady’s two surgical intensive care units – which have 40 beds designated for use by trauma patients.
• Step-down care. If patients do not require intensive care – or once their conditions have improved sufficiently – they are moved to two newly remodeled step-down units staffed by trauma specialists to ensure the unique medical needs of all trauma patients are addressed.  
• Rehabilitation. In many cases, trauma patients require ongoing occupational, physical, or speech therapy to recover from their injuries or conditions. Typically, rehabilitation services begin while patients are hospitalized at Grady and continue following their release.
• Outpatient care. Because trauma cases typically have lasting impacts, we make sure that trauma patients continue to be seen by physicians who specialize in trauma care. Plus, we make sure every patient receives the ongoing support they need to resume their lives.
• Recovery care. Grady’s Trauma Recovery Center can provide you with 16 weeks of free psychotherapy and supportive case management services for patients 13 years or older.

Trauma injuries can take a serious toll on both patients and their families. That is why Grady provides support services to help patients, their families, and their friends get through the immediate shock and deal with the residual effects of a trauma. We offer:

• 24-hour social workers
• 24-hour interpreters
• Chaplains
• Physical, speech, and occupational therapists
• Injury Prevention – public education

Learn more about our patient and visitor services.