Last checked: October 29, 2026. In an emergency, call 911. This independent guide to every Level 1 trauma center in Philadelphia and near Delaware County is not medical advice, and it is not affiliated with any of the hospitals listed.
Delaware County has had no trauma center since Crozer-Chester Medical Center closed in May 2025. For a seriously injured adult, the nearest Level 1 trauma center in Philadelphia is Penn Presbyterian, Temple University Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital or Jefferson Einstein. Children go to CHOP or St. Christopher’s. Lankenau and Paoli on the Main Line are Level 2 centers, and ChristianaCare runs a Level 1 center in Newark, Del. For regular emergency rooms, see our list of every open hospital and ER in Delaware County.
Does Delaware County have a trauma center?
No. The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation list dated October 1, 2026 includes no hospital in Delaware County. The foundation accredits every trauma center in the state, and its trauma center finder is the place to check if this changes.
Crozer-Chester in Upland used to fill that gap. It was an Adult Level II trauma center on the state’s 2021 list, and it also ran the county’s burn unit. Both ended when the hospital closed. Riddle Hospital in Media and Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby are the county’s two remaining hospitals, and WHYY reported in July 2025 that neither is designated as a trauma center. Even so, their emergency rooms still treat injuries every day. When a patient needs a trauma team, the ER stabilizes them and arranges a transfer.
Every Level 1 trauma center in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has four adult Level 1 trauma centers and two pediatric ones on the October 2026 state list. Jefferson Torresdale in Northeast Philadelphia is a Level 2 adult center.
| Hospital | Where | Level | Patients | Burn unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | University City | Level 1 | Adults | Not on the ABA list |
| Temple University Hospital | North Broad Street, North Philadelphia | Level 1 | Adults | Yes, Temple Burn Center |
| Thomas Jefferson University Hospital | Center City | Level 1 | Adults | Jefferson lists burn care; not on the ABA verified list |
| Jefferson Einstein Hospital | North Philadelphia | Level 1 | Adults | Not on the ABA list |
| Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | 3401 Civic Center Blvd., University City | Level 1 | Children | Not on the ABA list |
| St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children | 160 E. Erie Ave., North Philadelphia | Level 1 | Children | Yes, pediatric (Hulnick Burn Center) |
| Jefferson Torresdale Hospital | Northeast Philadelphia | Level 2 | Adults | Not on the ABA list |
For most of eastern Delaware County, including Upper Darby and the boroughs along the city line, Penn Presbyterian and CHOP are the closest of these on a map. Both sit in University City, a few miles east of the city line. By contrast, Temple, Einstein and St. Christopher’s are farther north, and the drive from southern Delco to any of them runs through the city.
Level 2 and out-of-state trauma centers near Delco
Some parts of the county are closer to a trauma center outside Philadelphia. Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, just over the Montgomery County line, and Paoli Hospital in Chester County are both Adult Level 2 centers on the state list. WHYY named Lankenau, Penn Presbyterian and Christiana Hospital as places Delaware County patients now travel for specialty care.
Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., is the other Level 1 option for the southern end of the county. Its trauma department page describes it as the only Adult Level 1 trauma center for people living between Philadelphia and Baltimore, and says it treats both adult and pediatric patients. The trauma department’s address is 4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road, Newark, and its phone is 302-733-4280. Across the Delaware River, Cooper University Hospital in Camden is also a Level 1 center, though it is a New Jersey hospital and does not appear on Pennsylvania’s list.
What makes a Level 1 trauma center in Philadelphia different
Trauma levels describe what a hospital has ready around the clock, not how good its ordinary ER is. In Pennsylvania the levels are set by the Trauma Systems Foundation, and the Hospital and Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania fact sheet lays out the state’s centers by level.
A Level 1 center has trauma surgeons and specialists available at all hours and treats the most complex injuries, from multiple gunshot wounds to severe head trauma. In addition, it carries teaching and research duties. A Level 2 center provides the same core trauma care around the clock but without those academic requirements, so the most unusual cases may still be sent on to a Level 1. Levels 3 and 4 are smaller hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that stabilize patients and transfer them.
Also, adult and pediatric ratings are separate. A hospital can be a Level 1 for adults and have no pediatric rating, which is why CHOP and St. Christopher’s appear on their own lines.
Burn centers near Delaware County since Crozer closed
The Nathan Speare Regional Burn Treatment Center at Crozer-Chester closed for good on May 2, 2025, according to the American Burn Association’s closure notice. The unit had served the region for decades; its medical director had led it since 1986.
In that notice, the association pointed patients and referring doctors in eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware to two verified burn centers: Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, a Level 1 trauma center with a 10-bed burn unit, and the Lehigh Valley Health Network Regional Burn Center in Allentown. The Temple Burn Center is in the Rock Pavilion at 3401 N. Broad St. For children, St. Christopher’s runs the Stuart J. Hulnick Burn Center on Erie Avenue.
Still, no public source says where former Nathan Speare patients now go for follow-up visits. If you were treated there and need your old burn-unit records, they are held with the rest of the Crozer files; see how to request your Crozer medical records before the county’s March 2027 cutoff.
How much longer the ride takes now
Losing Crozer added distance to almost every serious call in the southern half of the county. WHYY’s July 2025 report used county EMS data to show the change:
| Period | Average transport time, scene to hospital | Average time at the hospital before the crew is free |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 9 minutes | 24 minutes |
| 2022 | 19 minutes | 48 minutes |
| May 2025 | 40 minutes | 55 minutes |
| June 2025 | 29 minutes | 50 minutes |
However, those are averages for all calls, not just trauma. Newer county figures have not been published.
Who decides which Level 1 trauma center in Philadelphia you go to
When you call 911, the ambulance crew and regional medical command choose the destination based on the injury, the patient’s age and which hospitals can take them. As a result, a family usually can’t redirect a trauma patient to a preferred hospital. If someone is badly hurt, calling 911 lets the crew start care on the way and alert the trauma team before arrival.
For injuries that aren’t life-threatening, the county’s two ERs are still the closest stops for most residents. Our guides explain what to expect at the Riddle ER and the Mercy Fitzgerald emergency room. Chester residents can also read where Chester residents go now for hospital care.
Will Delaware County get a trauma center back?
So far, nothing announced points that way. Chariot Allaire Partners, which bought the Crozer-Chester campus, still had no hospital operator in October 2026. WHYY reported on October 22, 2026 that the services under discussion are emergency care, cardiology, oncology, neuroscience and behavioral health; trauma and burn care were not on that list. The owners expect more clarity in the first quarter of 2027. Our page on the Crozer-Chester reopening plan tracks each update.
Frequently asked questions
Is Penn Presbyterian a Level 1 trauma center in Philadelphia?
Yes. Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in University City is an Adult Level 1 trauma center on the October 2026 state list. It is often the closest one to eastern Delaware County.
Is Riddle Hospital or Mercy Fitzgerald a trauma center?
No. Both have full-time emergency rooms, but neither holds a state trauma designation. They stabilize seriously injured patients and transfer them when needed.
Is Lankenau a trauma center?
Yes, Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood is an Adult Level 2 trauma center. Paoli Hospital is also Level 2.
Which hospital near Delaware County has a burn unit?
Temple University Hospital runs the closest adult burn center verified by the American Burn Association. St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children has a pediatric burn center. Crozer’s Nathan Speare unit closed in May 2025.
What is the nearest trauma center to Chester, PA?
No agency publishes a town-by-town answer, and the ambulance crew makes the call. The Level 1 options within reach of Chester are Penn Presbyterian in Philadelphia and Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del.
An independent guide. Crozer Health Center Guide is not affiliated with Crozer Health, Prospect Medical, Main Line Health, Trinity Health or any hospital, and nothing here is medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Open ERs in Delaware County · Crozer medical records · All guides