Level I Trauma Center in Richmond, Virginia
Our team is ready to give you superb trauma care.
If you are critically injured, Chippenham Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center brings the highest level of emergency care to Central Virginia. Our specially-trained physicians, surgeons and medical professionals are ready 24/7 to provide you with the critical attention you need, no matter your condition.
Our trauma services
When time is of the essence, our trauma team is standing by to address your medical needs.
Why choose a Level I Trauma Center?
When a serious injury happens, where you go for care matters. A Level I Trauma Center, such as Chippenham Hospital, provides the highest level of emergency and trauma care available, with specialized teams and resources ready 24/7 when every second counts.
What is a Level I Trauma Center?
Chippenham’s Trauma Center is specially equipped to treat life-threatening and complex injuries, such as major car crashes, gunshot wounds, severe head injuries or multiple traumatic injuries. These hospitals meet the most rigorous standards for trauma care, staffing, technology and outcomes.
We have trauma surgeons and medical specialists available, including:
- Emergency medicine physicians
- Trauma surgeons
- Neurosurgeons
- Orthopedic surgeons
- Critical care specialists
Advanced technology and rapid diagnosis
We offer advanced imaging and surgical technology, such as:
- CT scans and MRI
- Dedicated trauma treatment rooms
- Intensive care units designed for trauma patients
Coordinated, team-based care
Trauma care requires speed and precision. At Chippenham, specialty teams work together at the same time, ensuring no delays in care when minutes matter most.
Care doesn’t stop after surgery. Our trauma center also provides:
- Rehabilitation services
- Specialized follow-up care
- Support services for patients and families
A trusted community resource
As a Level I Trauma Center, we go beyond emergency treatment. We are leaders in medical education, training and trauma research, working every day to advance care and improve outcomes for our community.
Our hospital helps train the next generation of physicians, nurses and emergency medical professionals. This commitment to education ensures our care teams use the latest, evidence-based practices when treating serious injuries.
We are also actively involved in trauma research, studying new treatments and care approaches to improve survival, speed recovery, and reduce complications. What we learn through research is quickly applied at the bedside — benefiting patients today.
Through collaboration with EMS, community partners and public safety organizations, we also support injury prevention and community education, helping keep our region safer and better prepared.
When you choose our Level I Trauma Center, you’re choosing a hospital that leads, innovates, and invests in the health of the entire community.
Always call 911 in an emergency. Emergency responders are trained to transport patients to the most appropriate trauma center.
Level I Trauma - The golden hour of fast access is critical
Chippenham Hospital is designated as a Level I Trauma Center to better serve our patients and community. Getting patients to a trauma center quickly after an injury is critical in terms of outcomes. Survival chances are greatest when trauma care is received within 60 minutes of injury. Survival rates are increased when critically injured patients are cared for in trauma centers. When minutes are the difference between life and death, forcing patients to endure lengthy travel that takes much longer than the 60-minute “golden hour” costs lives. In Virginia, the trauma certification process is voluntary and intended to identify the various levels of capability available at participating hospitals. Trauma Center standards are based upon the American College of Surgeons’ and the American College of Emergency Physicians’ national standards, and a trauma center with the Level I designation is the most comprehensive regional source that is that is capable for providing total care for every aspect of injury from prevention to rehabilitation.
Chippenham Hospital, as a Level I Trauma Center, is able to initiate definitive care for all patients by providing 24/7 on-site trauma surgeons required to be at bedside within 15 minutes. In addition, trauma experts with a variety of surgical specialties are on-call 24/7 and required to be at bedside within 30 minutes.
Air Care Eagle
Air Care Eagle (ACE) is HCA Virginia's medical flight helicopter based in central Virginia that provides patient transport and expedites lifesaving care for trauma patients.
When is ACE used?
Medical flight helicopter transport is typically used to facilitate a higher level of care that is not available at the current location of the patient.
- Medical patients may include – AMI, unstable angina, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, post cardiac arrest, aortic dissection or aneurysm, acute stroke, spinal cord injury and others.
- Typical trauma patients include those with penetrating or blunt trauma, wide mediastinum, spinal cord injury, pelvic fracture, or multi-system involvement.
- Patients may be transported to any specialty center in the region, including the Burn and Reconstruction Center of Chippenham Hospital
- Transport of high-risk OB patients
- When ground transport options are not available / have ETA that may be detrimental to patient condition