MetroHealth Aligns Pediatric Trauma Care with Regional Capacity

CLEVELAND, OH — June 10, 2026 — The MetroHealth System announced today it will not seek reverification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) for its Level II Pediatric Trauma Center designation at Main Campus. However, MetroHealth will continue to treat pediatric emergencies in its Emergency Departments and care for children in its pediatric clinics. MetroHealth will remain the premier Level I Adult Trauma Center in the region and can admit pediatric patients with serious injuries. 

MetroHealth’s four Emergency Departments – Main Campus, Brecksville, Cleveland Heights and Parma – will continue to treat children for emergency needs. MetroHealth also remains a Comprehensive Burn Care Center for both children and adults, providing the highest level of specialized burn care in the region.

MetroHealth will continue to utilize the resources it has to care for pediatric injuries and, if needed, will stabilize and transfer pediatric patients to Cleveland’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, UH Rainbow & Babies Children’s.

“For us, the goal is simple: make sure every patient gets the right care in the right place,” said MetroHealth President and CEO Christine Alexander‑Rager, MD. “By better aligning the care we provide with the community need, we hope to strengthen the region’s entire trauma system for children and families.”

In an emergency, always call 911.

MetroHealth remains the region’s premier Level I Adult Trauma Center. According to ACS, MetroHealth consistently reports one of the lowest trauma mortality rates in the nation. It is the region’s most experienced and longest‑standing trauma center.

“Pediatric trauma teams are like elite pit crews – they perform best with the volume and specialized staff to work together often and at a high level,” Dr. Alexander-Rager said. “When pediatric trauma cases are declining and pediatric neurosurgeons are in critically short supply, concentrating that care at the region's high-volume children's center strengthens it. Spreading it thin would dilute it. We make trauma decisions based on community need and patient outcomes – that's the standard that tells us when to step back and when to invest and grow.”

In recent years, MetroHealth has seen a decline in pediatric trauma cases, largely due to the region’s aging population and shifting community demographics. At the same time, a nationwide shortage of pediatric neurosurgeons has made it increasingly difficult for hospitals across the country to sustain the staffing levels required for pediatric trauma verification. Maintaining a second pediatric trauma program in Northeast Ohio is not something the community needs.

About The MetroHealth System

Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than a dozen health centers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.