Over the past year, several hospitals have earned new trauma center designations, expanding access to emergency care in their communities. At the same time, others have chosen to downgrade or close their programs, citing limited resources and shifting patient volumes. In a few cases, designations were removed altogether after reviews by accrediting bodies.
The evolving landscape reflects how hospitals are balancing community needs with the high costs and staffing demands of sustaining trauma services.
Below are 21 hospitals that have gained, lost or had their trauma center designations downgraded in 2025.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list.
Ascension St. John Medical Center (Tulsa, Okla.) became the first and only verified level 1 trauma center in Tulsa in July, expanding statewide access to comprehensive trauma care.
Mercy Medical Center (Aurora, Ill.), part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare, lost its level 2 trauma designation after the Illinois Department of Public Health revoked it due to the absence of essential services.
Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers (Morris, Ill.) discontinued its level 2 trauma center designation July 1, citing new state rules requiring neurosurgery coverage, a service the hospital has never offered.
Saint Francis Hospital (Tulsa, Okla.) earned level 1 trauma center verification from the American College of Surgeons.
Columbia Memorial Hospital (Astoria, Ore.) advanced from level 4 to level 3 trauma certification following a state trauma survey in May.
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (Chesapeake, Va.) was designated as a provisional level 3 trauma center.
McLaren Greater Lansing (Lansing, Mich.) was reverified as a level 3 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, effective through December 2026.
North Memorial Health (Robbinsdale, Minn.) was reverified as a level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons Committee.
Waterbury Hospital (Waterbury, Conn.) was verified as a level 2 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons through Jan. 9, 2028.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was reverified as a level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons.
Vanderbilt University Hospital (Nashville, Tenn.) was reverified as a level 1 adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons.
Mary Washington Hospital (Fredericksburg, Va.) was redesignated as a level 2 trauma center by the Virginia Department of Health.
Dell Children’s Medical Center North (Austin, Texas) elevated its certification to a level 3 pediatric trauma center, becoming the only one in Austin and one of three in Texas.
The Queen’s Medical Center (Honolulu) was reverified as a level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons through August 2027.
UVA Health University Medical Center (Charlottesville, Va.) earned verification as a level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, its fourth since 2015.
UnityPoint Health’s St. Luke’s Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa, had its level 3 trauma center certification placed on probation for one year in October. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services cited ongoing deficiencies, including repeat violations from 2021 and unresolved issues from a July 2025 inspection, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., was verified as a level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons in December. It is the only ACS-verified level 1 trauma center serving Western North Carolina.
Sanford Westbrook Medical Center in Westbrook, Minn., was designated a level 4 trauma hospital by the Minnesota Department of Health.
Carson Valley Health in Gardnerville, Nev., earned level 4 trauma center designation in 2025, becoming the first critical access hospital in Nevada to do so, according to the hospital. It is now one of only two trauma-designated hospitals in Northern Nevada.
Fulton County Medical Center in McConnellsburg, Pa., had its level 4 trauma center designation temporarily suspended by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation due to an equipment upgrade. The suspension was effective Nov. 23 and will be lifted once the center’s new CT scanner is installed and operational.
Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston will not seek reverification as a level 3 trauma center from the American College of Surgeons. The hospital lost its trauma status effective Dec. 1 but will continue to provide emergency care and transfers as part of the state’s trauma system.
