Trauma Care

“You never left the house today thinking you were going to become injured. You never left the house thinking something bad was going to happen,” said Michael Marcus, trauma program manager with Lee Health. In its 25 years in Lee County, the Lee Health Trauma Center has saved hundreds of lives. “We’re kind of a hidden gem, as you truly don’t know you need us until the day you need us,” said Marcus. The Trauma Center opened in 1994—since then, it’s served as the only trauma center in the Southwest Florida region caring for patients in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties. “We’re human beings taking care of human beings, and unfortunately we see things that really are very difficult to see at times,” Marcus said. The vast majority of injuries seen in the Trauma Center are vehicle-related crashes and falls. “Sometimes we see the worst things that life has to offer, and it’s not that you can ever prepare anybody for that, and at the same time, when you do see it, we have to be able to take care of you,” he said. Using a team approach, physicians and health experts work to give every patient the highest level of care. “It’s not about the trauma center here. It’s actually about a continuum of care, and a continuum of care begins with prevention. If we can make you a little smarter so that you don’t become injured in the first place, we’ve done our job,” Marcus said. In addition to saving lives—the trauma center also offers support services and education to keep people from becoming patients.