Acute Care and Trauma Surgery

About Us

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is one of the most active providers of acute care in the region, and one of only a few staffed around-the-clock by full-time, attending (senior-level) surgeons. BIDMC's multidisciplinary team provides expert care.

Acute Care Surgery

Our Acute Care Surgery service provides patients who require emergency surgery as a result of an accident or sudden illness with leading-edge surgical care. Patients are treated and receive continuous care from a small team of board-certified, attending (senior-level) acute care surgeons who are dedicated exclusively to the care and ongoing management of critically ill/trauma patients.

Using a multidisciplinary approach to provide the best possible care, this team frequently calls on the expertise of BIDMC surgeons in many other specialties, including neurosurgery, orthopedics, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery (including hand surgery), and urology. Patients also benefit from the immediate availability of emergency radiology services, including the full range of advanced imaging technologies, as well as the expertise of radiology subspecialists.

Trauma Program

Our Trauma Program provides the highest level of multidisciplinary care for adult patients with all types and severity of traumatic injuries (except burns), including those sustained from motor vehicle accidents, violence, falls, and other accidents. We are verified by the American College of Surgeons committee on Trauma and designated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a Level 1 Trauma Center, an indication that we meet or exceed the strict requirements of this designation.

More About BIDMC's Trauma Program

Surgical Critical Care

Our Surgical Critical Care service provides multidisciplinary, well-coordinated care for patients who have undergone complex surgical procedures resulting from trauma or sudden illness.

Following surgery and depending on their unique needs, patients may be cared for in one of our state-of-the-art intensive care units: a 10-bed Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit (TSICU); a15-bed Surgical ICU; an acute care unit (CC6); or our units for patients with neurological conditions (Farr 11, NIMU).

Staffed 24/7 by attending (senior-level) board-certified acute care trauma surgeons, as well as fellows and residents (licensed doctors supervised by senior surgeons) and registered nurses, our surgical critical care services ensure that seriously ill patients receive the most appropriate level of monitoring and attentive specialty care following surgery.

As a multidisciplinary service within a major academic medical center, Surgical Critical Care also provides patients with prompt access to the expertise of doctors in virtually every surgical and medical specialty and subspecialty.

While many doctors and other care providers are typically involved in the care of critically ill surgical patients, our patients and their families can be assured that there is close communication among care providers and that treatment is well-coordinated by the patient's primary team, which is always led by a senior acute care trauma surgeon.

Injury Prevention Education/Training

We are also committed to preventing injuries and accidents, offering injury-prevention presentations for the general public, as well as education and training courses for emergency medical service providers, nursing professionals, and physicians, including the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course.

More About BIDMC's Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Course