Doctors Hospital has been officially designated a Level III Trauma Center by the Georgia Department of Community Health, giving emergency responders access to a high level of care for severely injured patients.  

“We have been providing lifesaving trauma services to Columbia County and Augusta residents for nearly 20 years, and this now gives us formal designation as a Level III trauma center,” said Doctors Hospital’s President & CEO Doug Welch. 

Home to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center, the largest Burn Center in the country, Doctors Hospital was already part of the state’s trauma network.

“We are known, across the region, for the trauma care we provide to burn patients,” Welch said. “People expect a high level of care from us and the Level III designation expands the services we can offer.” 

Trauma designation is a rigorous, but voluntary process. Verified Level III trauma centers must meet, at a minimum, more than 230 different essential criteria established by the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).  All trauma designations require consultation and verification visits, education requirements, and a certification procedure.  

Elements of Level III Trauma Centers include: