WakeMed Cary now a designated trauma center; see your nearest trauma center

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Triangle now has a fourth trauma center after WakeMed Cary Hospital received the designation as a Level III Trauma Center from the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services.

WakeMed Cary Hospital joins WakeMed Raleigh as the second trauma center in Wake County. The Raleigh hospital has a more comprehensive Level I trauma center.

"We initially thought that having a trauma program in Cary would offset some of the trauma patients that presented to Raleigh Campus. However, as the Cary trauma registry increases, there has not been a significant decrease in Raleigh Campus. This shows the obvious service need WakeMed is fulfilling for the community," said Rhonda Vincent, Trauma Clinical Nurse Specialist in a statement.

The American Trauma Society says a Level III Trauma Center must include 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Level I Trauma Centers must include 24-hour in-house coverage by general surgeons and prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial, pediatric and critical care.

WakeMed Cary Hospital said the designation comes after an on-site survey and a years-long effort to build a trauma program in the western part of Wake County.

"Western and southwest Wake County and surrounding communities will continue to benefit greatly with the addition of Cary Hospital's trauma services," said Tom Gough, senior vice president and administrator in a statement. "I want to send a special thank you to the entire team that has put hours of time and effort into bringing trauma services to Cary Hospital."

The North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services lists the following trauma centers across the state:

Level I Trauma Centers:

Raleigh:

WakeMed Health & Hospitals

Durham:

Duke University Hospital

Chapel Hill:

University of NC (UNC) Hospitals

Charlotte:

Carolinas Medical Center

Winston-Salem:

North Carolina Baptist Hospital

Greenville:

Vidant Medical Center

Level II Trauma Centers:

Asheville:

Mission Hospitals

Greensboro:

Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital

Wilmington:

New Hanover Regional Medical Center

Level III Trauma Centers

Cary:

WakeMed Cary

Fayetteville:

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center

Shelby:

Cleveland Regional Medical Center

Concord:

Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Medical Center

Gastonia:

Caromont Regional Medical Center

Charlotte:

Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center