Level 1 Trauma, Stroke & STEMI Center

Advanced, Life-Saving Care for the Critically Ill & Injured

In an emergency, every second counts. That’s why Missouri implemented the Time Critical Diagnosis (TCD) system. TCD ensures trauma, stroke, and heart attack patients are brought to the hospital best equipped to handle their care. As a Level I Trauma, Stroke, and STEMI Center, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital provides advanced, life-saving treatment to critically ill and injured patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As one of only three hospitals in the region designated as Level I for all three TCD categories, we are equipped to provide advanced, life-saving care in any emergency.

Trauma Services

Injury is the leading cause of death for people under 44 years old and the 4th leading cause of death for people over 65 in the United States. Most of these injuries are the result of motor vehicle crashes, falls and/or assaults.

When it comes to treating major injuries, research has shown that receiving care at a Level One Trauma Center within one hour of the injury greatly decreases the risk of death.

To be recognized as a Level 1 Trauma Center, a hospital must be equipped and staffed to provide comprehensive and skilled services to severely injured patients. Staff members – including physicians, residents, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers and radiology technicians – are specifically trained to handle complex and life-threatening injuries. Additionally, trauma surgeons must be in the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For nearly 30 years, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital has been a designated Level 1 Trauma Center for Missouri and Illinois, and remains just as dedicated today in providing the highest quality care for traumatically injured patients. In 2008, the hospital received the highest national recognition when it was verified as an American College of Surgeons (ACS) Level 1 Trauma Center.

Caring for the critically-injured is the quintessential example of multidisciplinary medical care. SLU Hospital’s trauma program is a multidisciplinary academic endeavor with Saint Louis University School of Medicine and SLUCare.  The program is committed to treating trauma patients and improving patient outcomes by providing integrated, specialized care and clinical research.

At SLU Hospital, patients are cared for by a team of board-certified trauma surgeons and emergency medicine physicians, as well as emergency department and critical care nurses, who are extensively trained to care for the most critically injured patients. The trauma team also works very closely with orthopedic trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, facial trauma, plastic, urology, vascular, and spine surgeons. As the leader of the trauma team, a trauma surgeon, who is specially-trained to perform complex surgical procedures on all areas of the body, oversees the patient’s overall care to ensure an optimal outcome.

In addition to saving lives, SLU Hospital’s trauma program also trains tomorrow’s healthcare leaders - including medical students, residents, fellows, nurses and other healthcare providers - in quality trauma care by offering educational experiences and injury prevention programs.

Advanced Stroke Care

SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital has been designated a Level 1 Time Critical Diagnosis (TCD) Stroke Center by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The state of Missouri created this highest level of designation to recognize the significant resources a hospital must have to provide total care for every aspect of stroke treatment. A Level 1 Stroke Center provides:

  • Cutting edge stroke care and treatment
  • Clinical staff with advanced stroke training available 24/7
  • Advanced imaging technology available 24/7
  • Participation in advanced research in stroke treatment and prevention

SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital's stroke intervention team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This means we have the staff and resources available to save more lives by performing neuro interventions within the critical time-frame of stroke onset.

Our stroke neurologists and stroke team respond to stroke calls and arrive within 10 minutes. The average response time of the stroke team is under ten minutes, and the door-to-needle median time is 35 minutes.

Stroke patients at Saint Louis University Hospital benefit from the latest in imaging technology, including a 128-slice CT scanner and 3.0T MRI. This state-of-the-art imaging equipment produces the most detailed imagery, making it possible for physicians to quickly identify even the smallest blockage.

SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has dedicated neuro ICU to accommodate the sickest stroke patients. The staff provides stroke and neuro-critical care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and coordinates post-hospital care for all stroke patients.

SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital also participates in patient-centered research with Saint Louis University Medical School. Current research protocols include specialized clot retraction, endovascular aneurysm coiling, and intracranial stent application.

STEMI (Heart Attack) Expertise

STEMI (ST segment elevation myocardial infarction), a serious type of heart attack, occurs when the coronary artery is completely blocked. Immediate access to advanced heart care is critical to restore the flow of blood to the heart and increase the chance of survival in patients with STEMI. Level I STEMI certified hospitals, like SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital, have the expertise and resources necessary to provide life-saving care for these critically ill patients.

Level 1 STEMI certified hospitals have the proficiency to take care of the sickest of the sick and must meet the following criteria:

  • Advanced medical care available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • A door-to-balloon time of under 90 minutes 75 percent of the time.
  • Onsite services including cardiothoracic surgery, cardiopulmonary rehab, and a cardiac cath lab.

Cardiogenic shock is a devastating complication that affects nearly 10 percent of heart attack patients. In these patients, the pump function of the heart is severely compromised to a point that there is a critically low blood pressure and vital organs, such as the kidneys and brain, are deprived of sufficient oxygen and blood supply, leading to patient death.

A nationwide effort known as the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative is currently working to lower the high mortality rate - which currently stands at more than 50 percent - associated with this life-threatening complication. SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital is the only hospital in the region to join this initiative. To find out more about the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative, read our patient success stories in "Emergency Perspectives".

This means you can trust SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital to deliver the most advanced and complete stroke care, quickly and compassionately – all in your own backyard. Even for the most complex cases, our stroke team has the expertise and state-of-the-art technology to stop a stroke and drastically reduce its side effects.

Emergency Perspectives

Find out the latest in emergency and trauma medicine from our "Emergency Perspectives" publication. We highlight our partners in the emergency medicine community and share stories of lives saved from the partnership between EMS, regional providers and SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital.

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