In a place where every second matters, Dr. Norman McSwain, Director of the Interim LSU Public Hospital Trauma Center, says his staff works to make every moment count.  Now the American College of Surgeons has awarded the trauma center the highest rating, naming it a Level One trauma center.

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A patient is wheeled into the interim trauma center.

"Everybody is here in house so that there is no delay in patient care," said McSwain.  "We keep an operating room open all the time, 24 hours a day for the trauma patients."

Patients in need of trauma care who are not within 50 minutes of a Level One Trauma Center are usually taken to a community hospital and later transported to a Level One Trauma Center.  But the distinction now puts the interim LSU Hospital into the critical care mix with the only other Level One trauma center in the state is in Shreveport.

"By nature of the trauma, time makes all the difference," said Dr. Kevin Stephens, Director of the New Orleans Health Department.  "And if you have to be transported to Shreveport that makes a difference in your prognosis and ultimate ability to respond."

Dr. Jullette Saussy, Director of the New Orleans EMS hails the status change as a victory for the city.

"It's a badge of honor," she says.

On the heels of the announcement, Sauccy predicts an expansion of services, which she says will translate to an influx of state and federal dollars.

"It means resources, it means bed availability," said Saussy.

Currently, the LSU Trauma Center provides services for Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and St. Charles Parishes.  With the new Level One title, however, LSU hopes to expand to St. John, St. James, Tangipahoa, and St. Tammany parishes.  McSwain says he hopes to expand services to the nine parishes by early January 2009.

The Level One distinction, however, is one New Orleans has seen before.  According to McSwain, LSU first received the title in the 1990s when their trauma center was still in Charity Hospital.  Following Hurricane Katrina, Charity closed it’s doors which forced the trauma center to relocate to University Hospital in March 2007.  In light of the move, LSU was required to reapply for the Level One status.