Patients suffering traumatic injuries on the peninsula are transported to the closest Level 1 trauma center, Jamaica Hospital in Queens - approximately 8-10 miles away. The difference between an emergency room and a trauma center is this: while the ER can deal with a variety of medical issues, including heart attacks and strokes, a trauma center can handle traumatic injuries, such as gunshot or stab wounds, or the kind suffered in serious car accidents. The ER was expanded in 2020, increasing it in size from 10,000 square feet to 21,000 square. John’s Episcopal Hospital, a 257-bed medical facility with an emergency department that handles approximately 44,000 cases a year. The fact that there isn’t a trauma center capable of handling victims of car accidents, shootings, stabbings and other major calamities is raising concerns among residents, community leaders and elected officials. The answer to the 115,000 people living on the Queens peninsula should be disturbing: There are no trauma centers anywhere on the 11-mile-long strip. In a worst case scenario - a serious car accident, for example - where is the closest trauma center to which an ambulance can transport victims? PROSPECT HEIGHTS - It’s not something Rockaway Peninsula residents like to think about - but the question is always there. John’s Episcopal to a trauma center so they can be treated nearby and not have to travel to hospitals in Coney Island and Jamaica. To many Rockaway residents, the solution is simple: Build a new hospital on the peninsula or upgrade St.
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