UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital Trauma Center

Your team

Our providers take the time to listen to your concerns and develop a plan for care with you.

Riding, roping, and ranching again

With coordinated trauma, burn and limb-restoration care, worst case scenarios can have the best possible outcomes.

Ranch owner and cowboy Archie Chant broke 17 bones when he was involved in a head-on collision. The right UCHealth surgeon – a fellow cowboy – helped him get back in the saddle.

>> Read Archie’s story

The highest level of care.

If your emergency is a life-threatening event, rest assured UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital Trauma Center in Aurora, Colorado, is ready.

In our Level I Trauma Center, board-certified trauma surgeons, sub-specialty physicians, specialty nurses and support staff are here for you 24/7. With technologically advanced operating suites and a dedicated Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit we’re caring for injured patients across the Rocky Mountain region.

Refer a patient

Call DocLine at 1-844-285-4555

UCHealth’s DocLine is staffed with registered nurses who are available 24/7 to assist and facilitate all phases of transfer and consultation, including physician-to-physician contact, registration, bed assignment, facilitation of patient transport, and RN-to-RN reporting.

Level I trauma

The Level I Trauma Center at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital has been verified by the American College of Surgeons and designated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

University of Colorado Hospital is the only Level I Trauma Center that coordinates care and is in the same facility with an American Burn Association Verified Burn Center and limb-restoration program in the state of Colorado, providing the highest-level trauma and burn care in one facility.

The UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center at Anschutz in metro Denver is always ready to accept patients with burns and soft tissue injuries of all sizes.

Level I Trauma Centers are centers of excellence in the care of injured patients. Resources available at level I trauma centers include:

Trauma surgeons and sub-specialty physicians with specialized training in injury care (Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Vascular, Plastic Surgery) available 24/7 who are capable of treating all injuries.
Dedicated operating rooms.
Emergent access to blood products.
Technologically advanced imaging and hybrid operating rooms.

As the premier academic medical center in the Rocky Mountain region, the University of Colorado Hospital Level I Trauma Center, through its affiliation with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, provides the highest level of injury care available.

Patients and family

Patients transported to UCH Trauma Center

If your loved one has been transported to the Trauma Center, please go to the Emergency Department at University of Colorado Hospital, where staff can assist you in locating your loved one.

Our focus on recovery

The Level I Trauma Center at University of Colorado Hospital doesn’t just treat injuries. We go beyond the initial life-saving medical treatment to focus on a patient’s recovery, rehabilitation and re-entry into a healthy, active life. Education is provided to the patient on choices that may lead to healthier living and a quicker return to their active lifestyle.

We also understand that a patient’s family and loved ones are critical to recovery after a traumatic event. That is why we strive to get families involved as part of our care team. We understand the stress that family members can feel themselves after seeing a loved one put in a life-threatening situation.

Injury prevention and outreach

Stop the Bleed. Stop the Bleed™ train the trainer and layperson training, part of a national campaign to enhance survivability due to life-threatening hemorrhage. Contact Robyn Wolverton, Trauma outreach and injury prevention manager, for more information.

PARTY program. Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) Program™ provides young people with information about traumatic injury that will enable them to recognize potential injury producing situations, make safer choices, and adopt behaviors that reduce risk. Visit this page to find out more.

Stepping On. The Stepping On™ program is a multi-faceted falls prevention program that empowers older adults to carry out health behaviors that reduce their risk of falls. Visit this page to find out more.

Trauma Survivors Network. The Trauma Survivors Network provides programs and resources patients and families need to manage their recovery and improve their lives.

Video: Online Falls Prevention Program. A 4-part video series to teach strength and balance exercises and to highlight issues related to falls.

Professional resources

Patient follow-up for referral centers/EMS

If you have referred or transported an injured patient to UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and would like to receive follow up information, please contact:

Regina Krell ([email protected]), Trauma program manager, or
Stephanie Vega ([email protected]), Trauma clinical quality specialist.

Education and training

UCHealth provides ongoing education for the next generation of trauma providers, including residents, fellows, nurses, and medical students. Among the professional training opportunities we offer:

Advance Burn Life Support (ABLS®)
Advance Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET®)
Advance Trauma Life Support (ATLS®)
Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC®)
Trauma Care After Resuscitation (TCAR®)
Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC®)

These can be found on the uchealth.org events calendar.

How to find trauma-related education opportunities:

Go to the “Events” calendar.
Type “trauma” in the Search field.
Click Submit.

Resources at CU School of Medicine

Trauma Acute Care Surgery and Critical Care / Dept. of Surgery

Clinical trials

At UCHealth, we conduct hundreds of clinical trials (also called research trials or research studies) in our ongoing effort to discover and deliver more effective treatments. Our goal is to translate discoveries made in the laboratory to patients as quickly as possible.

Clinical trials