Often, when people are involved in a vehicle collision, they end up going to the hospital to be evaluated and treated. Collisions can be traumatic events, especially when you consider that the incident involves thousands of pounds of metal striking another object. Even if your injuries may seem minor at the time, it is still a good idea to go to the hospital to be checked out. (You may not notice any injuries right away, because of the adrenaline in your system). If you are transported to the hospital by EMS, you might not be able to choose the hospital yourself. But if it is your decision – it does matter which hospital treats you after your collision.
A hospital, in a general sense, is a health care institution that has trained medical staff and specialized equipment available for the treatment of patients. There are several different types of hospitals. A General Hospital has an emergency department for treating urgent health problems (ex: heart attack) and accident victims (ex: collisions, fires). District Hospitals usually focus on intensive care, long-term care, and other major procedures. Specialized Hospitals include children’s hospitals, geriatric/seniors’ hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, trauma centers, and other specialized facilities. Of these facilities, trauma centers are staffed and equipped to treat patients who have suffered major injuries due to falls, vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds.
Metro Atlanta has seven hospitals rated for trauma care. Those are: Atlanta Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta Scottish Rite, Grady Memorial Hospital, Gwinnett Medical Center – Lawrenceville, North Fulton Regional Hospital, and WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. (Source: Georgia Trauma Foundation).
When selecting a hospital for treatment it is important to keep in mind whether the facility has the appropriate medical team and equipment to treat your specific level of injury. It is also a good idea to be familiar with some of the best-rated hospitals in metro Atlanta, based on patient safety, physician specialties, procedural performance, and death rates.
The publication U.S. News and World Report recently released its list of “Best Regional Hospitals” in the state of Georgia. The group looked at national rankings, state-based rankings, specialty areas, performance, and reputation. Here is their list of Top Nine Hospitals in Georgia, beginning with the best rated:
- Emory University Hospital in Atlanta *also a top hospital in the U.S.
- Emory St. Joseph's in Atlanta
- Kennestone Hospital in Marietta (tied for third place)
- Navicent Health Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon (tied for third place)
- Piedmont Atlanta (tied for third place)
- University Hospital in Augusta (tied for third place)
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville (tied for fourth place)
- St. Joseph's-Candler in Savannah (tied for fourth place)
- Emory University Hospital in Midtown Atlanta
If you have been injured in a collision and need help with your personal injury case, call Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group - Gore at (404) 436-1529 to schedule a free personal injury consultation.