BATON ROUGE – Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has been designated a Level 1 adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, one of three such centers in the state.

“This is a big deal for our community and the nearly one million people who live and work in the region,” said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer at the hospital.

The designation means the hospital is able to respond before, during and after a trauma event.

“Our trauma center saves countless lives every year, and I am extremely proud of the dedication and hard work that our trauma team provides day in and day out,” O’Neal said.

A Level 1 trauma center is the highest possible level for a hospital trauma center. The hospital has been a Level 2 trauma center for the last nine years.

The center treats injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes, falls, jobsite accidents, natural disasters and more. There are more than 3,000 trauma activations and more than 1,400 hospital admissions each year.

“We’ve had the volume of the Level 1 center for some time, but now we’ve added the research and education systems to truly set the center apart ensuring our community is cared for when they need it the most,” said Dr. Tomas Jacome, medical director of the Our Lady of the Lake Trauma Center.