It's unusual for a newly accredited trauma center to win triple-year accreditation, but St. Luke's Hospital Miners Campus in Coaldale was able to pull it off.

That distinction shows how far the local area has advanced from the early days, said its chief executive officer."The miners had to travel 30 miles to receive care," said President Bill Moyer on Tuesday.The hospital became an accredited trauma center in November 2013, the first Pennsylvania hospital to earn Level IV distinction.This week's announcement is a milestone because it's the first time a new trauma program has received a three-year resurvey term, according to hospital officials."This accomplishment is attributed to the Pennsylvania Trauma System Foundation's confidence in the St. Luke's Miners Campus program," Moyer said."Since officially becoming a trauma center, we have seen an increase in the acuity and injury severity of our patients, further demonstrating a significant need for this type of elevated care in our community," said Moyer."We're extremely proud to be able to provide these needed services and ensure that excellent trauma care is delivered close to home."By having trauma care locally, patients are seen by a trauma team more quickly, resulting in improved patient outcomes, said emergency room physician Melanie Turock, medical director.The center saw more than 725 traumatically injured patients since becoming a Level IV designated center, she said.Nearly 150 of those patients were seriously injured, with one-fifth of those receiving treatment at St. Luke's Miners Campus.For more serious injuries, the hospital stabilizes patients to prepare for safe transfer via ground or air transport to St. Luke's University Hospital - Bethlehem, a Level I trauma center.Fifty-four percent of the trauma patients at the Coaldale site were transferred to Bethlehem.Dr. William S. Hoff, chief of trauma and acute care surgery at St. Luke's University Health Network said "In less than a year, the trauma program at St. Luke's Miners has developed a sophisticated level of performance that is patient-focused and designed to improve outcomes for any injured patient who comes to the emergency department in Coaldale."The team from St. Luke's Miners agreed that EMS partners are instrumental in improving patient outcomes and continue to work together to provide the highest level of care possible."Over the past three years, we have added 25 new physicians, several new services - including cardiology, oncology, neurology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthpaedics, and urology - and will continue to fulfill our mission of providing access to high-level care close to home," Moyer said.