When a severe car crash, serious workplace accident, or other life-threatening emergency happens in Central Alabama, patients may now have access to the state’s highest level of trauma care closer to home.
Baptist Medical Center South announced it has been verified by the Alabama Department of Public Health as a Level I Trauma Center, becoming the first and only Level I trauma center in Central Alabama and one of four in the state.
Level I is the highest trauma designation available in Alabama and indicates a hospital is equipped to handle the state’s most serious injuries and medical emergencies.
The Montgomery television station reported that Baptist Health President and CEO Russell Tyner called the designation “a defining moment” for the health system and the communities it serves.
Tyner said Baptist South’s medical teams have been delivering that level of care for years and are now receiving formal recognition for their work.
A Level I Trauma Center is equipped to treat the most critical injuries, including serious vehicle crashes, falls, gunshot wounds, major burns, and other life-threatening emergencies. The designation reflects around-the-clock access to trauma surgeons and specialized physicians, advanced diagnostic capabilities, operating room readiness, and a coordinated multidisciplinary response.
“This achievement strengthens our ability to care for patients when every second matters,” trauma director Dr. John Mark Vermillion told local outlets.
Vermillion said the designation will help ensure that the region’s most severely injured patients can receive the highest level of care closer to home, potentially reducing the need for transfers and transport times.
The announcement comes months after Baptist Medical Center South completed a major expansion of its emergency department. Baptist Health said the $14 million project added more than 11,000 square feet and increased treatment capacity from 53 to 83 rooms.
The health system reported that the emergency department treated nearly 57,000 patients from a 17-county service area in 2024.
Baptist Medical Center South has served Central Alabama for more than 60 years and is a 492-bed hospital in Montgomery. Baptist Health describes the facility as the region’s largest healthcare facility.
Hospital officials told the television outlet they plan to launch a public awareness campaign to help residents understand what the Level I designation means for Montgomery and the River Region.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
