Duke Trauma Center

The Duke Trauma Center was developed in 1975 for the specific purpose of improving care for patients with severe and multi-system injuries. The program has continued to expand in size and in services provided.

 

Our five trauma attending physicians, led by Dr. Steven Vaslef, admit about 1500 patients a year. An extensive educational program on the care of the trauma patient has been developed that serves in-house personnel as well as the local and regional communities. Duke Trauma Center has an active injury prevention program and outreach program.

The Duke Trauma Center is committed to the optimal care of injured patients in an organized system from pre-hospital through rehabilitation stages. The care of the injured patient is a coordinated effort between surgery, nursing, and ancillary services. Care is provided with efficiency and the latest knowledge of injury to resuscitate, save lives, and, when necessary, to bring peace to those who pass from our hands.

 

We are dedicated to holistic, family-centered care in all age groups. We assure that those caring for trauma patients will be well-educated; we will provide education to our referring facilities and Emergency Medical Services; and we will take a leadership role in research to increase a patient's chance of survival and to decrease disability from injury. We are dedicated to the prevention of violence and other mechanisms of injury to provide a safer community.