Emergency & Trauma Surgery

The Kessler Trauma Center is Greater Rochester's only full-service trauma facility, providing 24-hour access for the entire Finger Lakes Region. We treat thousands of injured patients a year.

In 2021, we became one of relatively few civilian trauma centers offering whole blood resuscitation for bleeding trauma patients. Our surgeons were instrumental in lobbying for helicopter emergency medical services in New York State to carry and transfuse blood. We now have whole blood available in the prehospital setting.

We continue to offer newer technologies like Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) for use in non-compressible torso hemorrhage as well as rib and sternal plating for severe chest wall fractures.  

Our faculty and program staff are engaged in national PI efforts through EAST as well as the New York State TQIP Collaborative.  Our trauma registrars are Certified Specialists in Trauma Registries (CSTR). We also offer medical student and resident training, including Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-approved fellowship positions in surgical critical care and burn.

Special features of the Kessler Trauma Center

• Board-certified trauma surgeons/surgical intensivists available around the clock
• Surgeons who are part of local, national, and international organizations involved in trauma research, education, outreach, and advocacy
• Sub-specialty support services (neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, vascular surgery) available around the clock
• Access to whole blood (supplied by the American Red Cross) for resuscitation of bleeding trauma patients
• Emerging technologies such as Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) and rib plating for rib fractures
• Complete support of the trauma patient from initial arrival through the rehabilitation process and beyond
• Quality and performance improvement programs including the availability of trauma video review
• Immediate availability of fully staffed, trauma operating rooms
• Modern trauma resuscitation bays with immediate access to ultrasound, x-ray imaging, and state-of-the-art CT scanning
• Transfer center available around the clock
• Easy access by air (helipad) or critical care transport service (ground)
• Faculty and staff involved in multicenter trials involving trauma care

Outreach Efforts

Stop the Bleed: Death from bleeding is the number one preventable cause of death from injury. We support the national STOP THE BLEED public health campaign to save lives by training people across the country in how to stop bleeding (similar to encouraging people to learn CPR). The annual national STOP THE BLEED Day is a one-day call to action. For more information, visit StopTheBleed.org.

Rochester Youth Violence Partnership: This hospital-based, violence intervention program helps trauma victims under the age of 18 when they seek medical care following a knife or gun injury. Our regional trauma center’s efforts are supported by 28 local nonprofit, government, and service-based organizations. The hospital serves as “first responder” by identifying at-risk patients and treating injuries. A coordinated effort follows to help reduce violence in this vulnerable population.