A traumatic injury can happen in the blink of an eye, completely changing a life in a fraction of a second. When these critical moments arise, the dedicated team at Regional One Health’s Elvis Presley Trauma Center stands ready 24/7 to provide lifesaving medical care. Serving as an essential public safety resource, this premier trauma facility delivers elite-level medical interventions when every second counts.
The Mid-South’s Leader in Trauma Care
After a serious injury occurs, receiving care at a premier trauma facility can truly mean the difference between life and death. Regional One Health’s Elvis Presley Trauma Center possesses the comprehensive resources and specialized personnel needed to provide patients from throughout the Mid-South region the highest level of emergency medical treatment.
As the only designated Level 1 Trauma Center within a 150-mile radius of Memphis, the facility anchors a vital geographic network. A multidisciplinary team of highly trained medical specialists remains available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to care for high-risk patients arriving from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri. The staff takes this responsibility with the utmost seriousness, treating every incoming patient with exceptional clinical skill and deep compassion.
The state-of-the-art facility originally opened its doors in 1983. It was founded upon a core concept that remains the definitive gold standard in modern trauma medicine: consolidating every resource a critically injured patient could possibly need into a single location. This ensures that individuals receive seamlessly integrated, top-tier medical attention from the exact second they enter the facility until the day they are safely discharged from the hospital. Over the decades, this cohesive care team has saved tens of thousands of lives, firmly establishing the facility as a national leader in trauma medicine and a designated Center of Excellence at Regional One Health.
Specialized Resources for Critical Care
When a critically injured patient is brought into the Elvis Presley Trauma Center, a synchronized team of over 20 medical professionals immediately begins delivering targeted, lifesaving care. This expansive, multidisciplinary medical team includes:
- Trauma and critical care surgeons
- Anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs)
- Trauma nurse practitioners and physician assistants (PAs)
- Clinical pharmacists and respiratory therapists
- Specialized nurses, radiologic technologists, and laboratory technicians
The physical infrastructure of the facility is purpose-built for rapid emergency intervention. It encompasses dedicated shock trauma bays, critical care assessment facilities, specialized operating rooms, recovery beds, and immediate access to fully stocked blood bank resources. As patients progress along their recovery journeys, they continue to receive expert, continuity of care within dedicated trauma intensive care units (TICU), trauma step-down areas, and post-trauma units. Because Regional One Health functions as a major health system and academic research hospital, patients also benefit from seamless access to world-class specialists, comprehensive rehabilitation services, advanced burn and wound care, and cutting-edge diagnostic imaging.
In a major medical crisis, seconds save lives. To optimize these critical moments, Regional One Health serves as the home base for MedCom, the regional communications hub for both ground and air ambulance transport. This vital service allows area paramedics and on-duty trauma physicians to interact in real time while a patient is still en route. This direct communication line gives hospital physicians the chance to prepare specialized equipment prior to a patient’s arrival, while allowing paramedics to perform advanced stabilizing procedures under direct medical guidance.
Traumatic Brain Injury Services
Beyond immediate physical stabilization, Regional One Health stands as an industry leader in specialized traumatic brain injury (TBI) care. Patients who sustain severe trauma resulting in neurological injuries have access to a structured continuum of specialized care. The program provides continuing medical care, physical therapy, cognitive education, and emotional support to holistically address the behavioral, physical, cognitive, and social needs of the individual.
The dedicated traumatic brain injury specialists work closely with patients and families to help individuals regain optimal independence and achieve the highest possible quality of life following a neurological crisis.
Leadership and Vision: Meet Our Medical Director
Andrew Kerwin, MD, FACS, leads the world-renowned multidisciplinary team at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center. As a board-certified critical care surgeon, Dr. Kerwin has dedicated his professional career to administering advanced care to the most severely injured patients in the community.
Dr. Kerwin earned his medical degree at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. He went on to complete his residency training at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo and completed an internship at the Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. Notably, he completed a trauma and critical care fellowship at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center under the direct tutelage of trauma medicine pioneer and Elvis Presley Trauma Center founder, Timothy Fabian, MD. This foundational mentorship heavily influenced his ultimate decision to return to Memphis and care for patients at Regional One Health.
As an active researcher, Dr. Kerwin’s scientific work has been published extensively across prestigious medical literature, including The Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection & Critical Care, Journal of Investigative Surgery, American Surgeon, Surgery, Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. He has authored numerous medical textbook chapters and serves as an expert peer reviewer for several top-tier surgical journals. In his academic capacity, Dr. Kerwin also serves as the division chief for trauma and surgical care within the UTHSC department of surgery.
Dr. Kerwin takes immense pride in the unwavering readiness of his trauma care team.
“Our goal is to help more patients receive expert trauma care within 60 minutes of their injury, which significantly improves their chances of a positive outcome,” Dr. Kerwin notes. “We are proud to provide a beacon of hope and healing in times of unexpected crisis.”
A History of Innovation and Excellence
The foundations of the center trace back to 1980, when Timothy Fabian, MD, relocated to Memphis with a singular, clear mission: to build a world-class trauma center capable of serving patients across the entire Mid-South. Dr. Fabian brought internationally recognized trauma expertise, pioneering research, and passionate public advocacy to the project. When the Elvis Presley Trauma Center officially opened its doors in 1983, it was the direct result of his leadership and steadfast commitment.
During his illustrious 40-year career, Dr. Fabian revolutionized the landscape of trauma medicine, developing clinical protocols that remain the gold standard in critical care to this day. The center’s multidisciplinary approach and integrated resources are built directly upon his original institutional designs. While widely recognized as an industry pioneer, Dr. Fabian is equally celebrated for his genuine compassion—a philosophy that he intentionally passed down to successive generations of practitioners.
Today, the Elvis Presley Trauma Center ranks among the busiest Level 1 Trauma Centers in the United States, treating and evaluating more than 4,500 patients every single year. Its operational performance metrics consistently outpace national averages regarding mortality reduction, lower infection rates, and minimized complications, cementing its status as a premier innovator in clinical quality.
The Elvis Presley Trauma Center Wall of Honor
The exceptional, sophisticated care provided at the center is made possible in part by the generosity of philanthropic donors who fund specialized technology, advanced staff training, and vital clinical resources. In 1990, the Regional One Health Foundation established the Wall of Honor to permanently recognize these contributions. Today, the wall proudly displays over 300 commemorative plaques, each inscribed according to the unique wishes of the donor.
The Wall of Honor has grown into a deeply meaningful way for global music fans to remember Memphis’s most famous resident and the trauma center’s official namesake. Fan clubs, private individuals, and corporate businesses frequently make charitable donations in Elvis Presley’s honor—a highly fitting tribute to an artist who was well known throughout his life for his deeply charitable nature.
This unique connection to “The King of Rock and Roll” serves as an engaging bridge, introducing people from all over the world to a dedicated medical team that facilitates miracles every day. Every August, as Elvis fans gather in Memphis to celebrate his life and legacy, the Elvis Presley Trauma Center opens its doors for specialized educational tours, celebrating the enduring impact of The King’s legacy on regional public health.
The lifesaving medical triumphs achieved here reflect a shared community commitment to preserving health, providing elite-level critical interventions, and delivering a beacon of hope to the Mid-South region during times of unexpected medical crisis.