Skip to Main Content

Notice of Data Security Incident. Learn more  |  Schedule certain appointments online. Get started

Emergency and Trauma Care in Tacoma: St. Joseph Medical Center

When a medical emergency happens, you want nearby, expert care. At St. Joseph Medical Center, our highly trained board-certified doctors, registered nurses and other specialists have years of expertise in advanced emergency and trauma care for patients of all ages.

Emergency care in Tacoma

Our emergency specialists provide care for people with the most serious and life-threatening conditions throughout the Tacoma area. Our expert services include:

The skilled and experienced providers, nurses and staff at St. Joseph have specialized training in emergency and trauma medicine. That means we provide superior care for you and your loved ones in any medical emergency. For their skill and expertise, our teams have earned national recognition, including:

  • Accreditation for our hospital care from The Joint Commission
  • Advanced certification as a Primary Stroke Center from The Joint Commission
  • Beats national standards for door-to-balloon times for heart attack
  • Silver award for The Medal of Honor for Organ Donation from the United States Department of Health and Human Services
  • Accreditation of the Inpatient Acute Rehabilitation Unit by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF International)

Tacoma Trauma Center: Level II Trauma Care

St. Joseph provides Level II trauma services for civilians and military personnel with critical illnesses and injuries. Trauma-care duty rotates every 24 hours between St. Joseph Medical Center and MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital.

The Level II designation means that:

  • St. Joseph has a trauma surgeon on site when the facility is on trauma duty.
  • Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, neurosurgeons and other medical specialists can respond within 20 minutes of being called.

Choosing the right care location

Find the right level of care at the right time at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health:

  • Emergency services 
    For very serious or life-threatening conditions or trauma
     
  • Primary care
    For common illnesses, minor injuries, routine health exams and long-term health maintenance
     
  • Urgent care 
    For same-day care when your regular provider isn't available.

  • Virtual Urgent Care
    For 24/7 care via a virtual urgent care appointment with board-certified providers.

Learn more about choosing the right care location.