Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville has applied to become a Level 1 Trauma Center. If its application is accepted, it would create another much-needed specialized research hospital in Georgia.
The state currently has four Level 1 trauma centers around the state: Augusta University Medical Center, Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Macon’s Atrium Health Navicent, and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
Until Wellstar Health System shut it down in November, another one was at Atlanta Medical Center in the city’s Old Fourth Ward.
Gainesville’s Northeast Georgia Medical Center is currently designated as a Level 2 hospital. It has 557 beds and offers a range of emergency services, including a cardiovascular ICU and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Northeast Georgia Health System spokesperson Courtney Randolph said becoming a Level 1 hospital would allow Northeast Georgia Medical Center to participate in new research projects and improve its ability to recruit physicians.
