Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center has earned Provisional Level III Adult Trauma Center designation from the State Department of Health. This achievement follows years of preparation and a thorough site review in June. The process includes extensive documentation of resources and training of clinical and support staff in the emergency department and throughout the hospital’s other departments. This designation helps ensure that patients in the Williamsburg area have access to high-quality trauma care close to home.

“This is an important milestone for Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center and the community we serve,” said Kapua Conley, Eastern Region President for Sentara Health. “It is our responsibility to grow with the community and anticipate healthcare needs. Having a trauma center distinguishes the Williamsburg area as having advanced health services, beyond many communities our size.

“This milestone represents another step to ensure that we are prepared to meet the needs of our community today and in the future,” Conley concluded.

A trauma center in Williamsburg fills a gap in trauma services between Newport News and Richmond. EMS providers in the Williamsburg, James City County, and York County areas, and the upper Peninsula, now have a closer option for transporting trauma patients. 

Provisional designation authorizes Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center to operate as a Level III Adult Trauma Center for one year, during which the trauma team will continue to demonstrate compliance with state standards and further strengthen the program. After the provisional period, the State will conduct a follow-up site review to evaluate the hospital for full Level III designation.

Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center provides 24/7 access to emergency medicine and surgical services, including trauma, general, and orthopedic surgery. Level III Trauma Centers provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, stabilization, and definitive treatment of injured patients as medically appropriate. 

“There’s a need for a trauma service in the historic triangle,” said Taylor Walsh, MD, Medical Director for the hospital’s trauma program and a general surgeon. “We serve a diverse population, including older adults with complex medical needs and a high potential for complications from injuries,” Walsh added. “It’s a long ambulance ride to Newport News or Richmond. Being close by is better for patients and our EMS partners by reducing travel times and improving timely access to care.”

The hospital provides continuing trauma education for clinical and support staff. Most of the 40 nurses who work in the ED have completed the Trauma Nursing Core Course through the Emergency Nurses Association and staff in other units have received specialized training in working with trauma patients. Once a year, Sentara Williamsburg hosts a cadaver lab, led by Dr. Walsh, giving staff and EMS professionals hands-on experience to enhance trauma care and improve patient outcomes.